As the dry season tomato harvest begins in Kano and other tomato-producing states, the price of the produce has reportedly crashed beyond expectation.
Many farmers told our correspondent that this development has put them in a difficult situation.
A market survey conducted by the Daily Trust revealed that a crate of fresh tomatoes is now selling at N3,500 while a big basket is selling at N10,000.
Isah Bello Abba, a tomato farmer, stated that the situation is making tomato growers anxious because they have made significant investments in dry-season production and now face the possibility of suffering significant losses.
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“We have made heavy investment this year, but from the look of things, we are not going to have a reasonable return on investment. This development is so scary and we are just hoping that things will change in good time,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the state chairman of the Tomato Out Growers Association of Nigeria (TOGAN), Alhaji Sani Danladi Yadakwari, said indeed the recent development in the tomato harvesting period is worrisome because the harvest has just begun.
According to him, it is normal to experience a fall in tomato prices when the harvesting season is at its peak and not when it is just starting.
He added that the association had seen the problem and had already started a move to assist the farmers, adding that the association in collaboration with the federal government will soon come up with a strategy that will address the issue.
The chairman also called on the business community nationwide to begin the operation of cottage tomato processing plants to address the issue of tomato glut and post-harvest losses.
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