Nigeria: Traders Lament As Prices of Fresh Tomatoes, Pepper Soar

Tomatoes

April 15, 2018//-With the absence of native fresh tomatoes and pepper from the South-South and South West, coupled with inadequate supply from the North where a chunk of the produce emanates from, prices of the produce which had been on a steady decline since early this year, has started to soar again.

Also, those of neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Cameroun and Niger were not available, since they are yet to enter their season of harvest.

This has had an adverse effect on the prices of the produce and has not helped the Nigerian market either.

Consequently, the situation has seen traders from these neighbouring countries always besieging the Nigerian market for the purchase of the produce. This has resulted to ‘demand being more than supply’ which end result has never been favourable.

However, prices of fresh tomatoes and pepper started skyrocketing gradually towards the end of March, but became more evident during the review week. Findings revealed that prices of the produce increased by over 70 and 50 per cent in nearly all the markets visited, between January and April 12, 2018.

However, reasons for the hike, according to a survey conducted by the Business and Market Intelligence Unit of DAILY INDEPENDENT were due to shortfall in supply from the North, being the only source presently, logistics constraints and high demand, among others.

During the week, visit to Kaduna Central Market indicated that prices of the commodity witnessed an increase.

For example, the price of a small basket of fresh tomatoes sold for between N1,500 and N2,000 previously currently goes for as high as between N4,000 and N4,500, while that of  fresh peeper, which previously attracted N2,000 increased to between N4,000 and N4,500.

A pepper seller named Isa at the Kaduna Central Market, Kaduna, attributed the increase to seasonal factors and high cost of transportation.

That of Wuse Market, Abuja, was not different either, as the prices of a big basket of fresh tomatoes that were earlier sold for between N3,000 and N3,500, went up  significantly, increasing to between N8,000 and N8,500.

This, however, depends on the size of the basket and the haggling power of the buyer. Likewise, that of pepper currently range from N7,500 to N8,000, up from N4,000 formerly sold.

Mallam Abu, who sells the produce at the Wuse Market, Abuja linked the hike to scarcity occasioned by off-season effect. This is just as Mrs. Binta of same market shared same opinion, but added that insurgency in the North, especially the North-Eastern zones, was also responsible as only few farmers go to their farmlands. Thus, resulting to shortfall in the supply of the produce.

Checks at the Ogbeogologo Market, Asaba, also revealed that prices of the produce witnessed a sharp rise. With the price of a big basket of fresh tomatoes currently going for between N14.000 and N15,000 as against N8,000 sold initially.

Similarly, that of a bag of fresh pepper that previously attracted between N7,000 and N8,000 went up by over 70  or 50 per cent, increasing to between N12,000 and N12,500, a situation which majority of the traders  interviewed, attributed to insufficient supply and high cost of transportation.

The same could be said for Ose Market, Onitsha, as prices of the produce experienced upturn from what was sold previously. For instance, a big basket of fresh tomatoes that was earlier sold for between N7,000 and N7,500 attracted between N13,000 and N13,500, while prices of a bag of fresh pepper soared to between N11,500 and N12,000 from what was previously sold.

A lady,  who came to shop for the produce at the Ose Market, Onitsha, complained of the hike, stressing that her purchasing power was not enhanced in the quantity of the produce procured.

Still, that of Oba Market, Benin City, during the week, did not differ from that of Asaba, though slightly cheaper. For example, a basket of fresh tomatoes that was initially sold for between N6,500 and N7,000, currently goes for between N11,500 and N12,000, a 77 percent increase. That of fresh pepper also skyrocketed, with a bag currently going for between N11,000 and N11,500 as against N7,500 sold previously.

Alhaji Suleiman, who trades in the produce, ascribed the hike to scarcity, high demand and high cost of transportation.

At the King’s Market, Ado-Ekiti, prices of the produce witnessed an upsurge as a big basket of fresh tomatoes, during the week, attracted between N10,000 and N10,500  up from N5,000 sold previously.

Also, a bag of fresh pepper, increasing to N8,500,  as against between N3,500 and N4,000 sold formerly.

However, majority of the traders interviewed connected the increase to scarcity caused by off season effect.  The situation saw some of them reducing their purchases because of the huge sum of money involved in procuring their normal supplies.

For that of Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, prices of the produce, kept fluctuating, but were still high when compared to what was previously sold.

For example, the price of  a fresh basket of fresh tomatoes that was previously sold for between N3,500 and N4,500 went for as high as between N14,000 and N16,000 on Tuesday, April 10,2018 and fell by over 25 percent on  Friday April 13, 2018, to  between  N11,000  and N12,000.

The same goes for fresh pepper as a bag currently sells for between N9,000 and N10,000 up from N6,000 sold previously.

A man named Maina, who sells the produce at the Mile 12 Market, Lagos, attributed the hike to unavailability, emphasising that only few number of trucks offloaded the produce during the review week.

Independent.ng 

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