Prices of tomatoes and pepper in the North have continued to soar despite the items being in their season.
The development has reached an alarming level such that residents say their prices have stripped them to bare bones.
Most of the residents further groan that the prices of pepper and tomatoes in particular have further hit the roof just a few days after the Muslim festival of Eid-il-kabir.
Checks to monitor the situation across some major markets in the northern part of the country that includes Kaduna, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, and Sokoto, indicated that rather than the prices of these perishable commodities abate even after the Sallah celebration they are rising uncontrollably.
For instance, in Lafiya, the Nasarawa State capital, residents lamented over the cost of tomatoes and peppers urging the Federal Government to take proactive measures to arrest the situation.
Halima Musa, a housewife, told our correspondent that a big basket of tomatoes, which cost N17,000 early January, now sells for N65,000, while a bag of pepper that sold for N10,000 now goes for N52,000.
According to her, the government must urgently intervene into the situation and deliberately crash prices of good in the markets with a view to regulating them.
For Joy Abraham, another housewife and mother of three, she said she had since stopped cooking with either fresh tomatoes or pepper as the prices have continued to skyrocket beyond her reach.
“I decided to go back to using sachet tomatoes because the price of fresh tomatoes has refused to come down anytime soon.
“A small painter bucket of tomatoes which used to be sold for between N1,000 to N1,500 now sells for N8,000 to N10,000, while a small painter bucket of pepper which sold for N600 now sells for N4,000,” she added.
Yakubu Ibrahim, a trader at the Lafiya market dealing in tomatoes and peppers, absolved his colleagues from the soaring prices of the commodities.
Speaking in the Hausa language he explained, “So many people are saying that it is our fault that the prices of tomatoes and pepper are increasing, but it is not so.
“We buy most of these cooking ingredients from Plateau State and other states in the North Central region. And we sell almost at the same amount we buy the items because we are also considering the suffering of our fellow citizens,” Ibrahim said.
In Lokoja, Kogi State, our correspondent noted that a dustbin basket of tomatoes sells for N11,000 while one big basket sells for between N100,000 and N120,000.
One of the traders at the Kogi market, Ibrahim Yusuf, told our correspondent at the old market in Lokoja that the prices quoted were the latest prices after the Sallah celebration.
“The last time I bought was three days ago (Wednesday) and I am very certain that the price can not be the same as at today,” he said.
Another trader, Ilyasu Baba, who sells onions at the Kpata market, also in Lokoja, said one full dustbin basket goes for N3,500 while a full bag sells for N70,000.
At the Lokongoma market, a bag of pepper sells for between N8,000 and N12,000, he added.
Meanwhile, in Adamawa State, fresh tomatoes and pepper are now out of reach for poor families, just as local eateries and other restaurant operators also groan.
The cause of the groaning and gnashing remains the soaring prices of the commodities.
Our correspondent, who visited the ‘Cooking-cooking Ingredient market’ located along the Jimeta-Girei Road, observed that there were only traders selling tomatoes and peppers with no buyers to patronise them.
A trader who identified himself as Hassan Umar disclosed that a bag of fresh tomatoes now goes for ₦120, 000 and the big red pepper called ‘atarumbu’ now cost ₦55,000 per basket.
“Four pieces of tomatoes is ₦500. There are no tomatoes that can be bought for even N300 again,” he declared.
Abubakar Jimeta, another trader, told our correspondent that getting tomatoes and fresh red pepper is a difficult task. He attributed the development to the high cost of transporting the commodities and the prevailing insecurity in some parts of the North.
“In the past, we get our large quantity of supply from Benue State but now, the cost of transportation and the insecurity along the Wukari-Jalingo road have stopped those that usually supply us the commodities,” he stressed.
A restaurant operator, Mrs Grace Ishaya, said the development forced her into closing her shop as tomatoes and fresh red peppers are now out of her reach.
In Jalingo, Taraba State, the tale is the same as residents lament the sharp increase in the cost of tomatoes and peppers.
A survey carried showed that only a few weeks back, the cost of these essential soup commodities were fairly affordable until of recent when the prices surged astronomically.
Tomatoes, which previously sold for N200, now costs about N500, while the price of pepper has equally risen from N150 to N400 per unit measure.
As a result, Hadjia Aisha Musa, a tomato seller in Jalingo market, expressed her frustration, saying that the increase is beyond the traders’ reach
“The increase in prices is beyond our control. Poor weather conditions and transportation issues have reduced supply, making it difficult for us to meet the demand. Customers are unhappy, and it’s affecting our sales,” she admitted.
Buyers are equally distressed by the rising prices as Mr. John Adamu, a consumer, lamented over the soaring prices.
“It’s becoming very hard to afford basic ingredients for our meals. The high cost of tomatoes and pepper is putting a strain on my family’s budget.
According to both consumers and tomatoes sellers in Minna market, the high cost of food items, especially perishable commodities like tomatoes and peppers remain unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
Most consumers further lament that because the prices of the commodities have gone out of their reach, they have now resorted to embarking on unhealthy alternative means to add flavour to their dishes.
A housewife, Toyin Alabi, told our correspondent that she no longer goes to Kure market to buy food items, especially tomatoes and peppers because of the cost implication.
“You can not come to the market with N20,000 and find anything reasonsble to buy. Tomatoes and peppers are now no-go areas. Just a small measure of tomato that used to sell between N250 and N300 now sells for N1000.
“Pepper is even worse. Before, with less than N500.00, I would buy pepper that is enough for the entire family but now with N1500, you have to add ‘I beg’ before the sellers will listen to you,” she insisted.
A trader, Abubakar Jibrin, said the high cost of the commodities – tomatoes and peppers should not be entirely blamed on the traders.
Jibrin explained that they (traders) had to travel outside the state to places such as Sokoto, Kano and some remote villages in the states to purchase the items, which “is not easy.”
“I sell a basket of tomatoes for ₦20,000 while I sell a small measure for N1000 and N1500 depending on the size. I always tell consumers that it is not our fault. Before, the highest amount I would sell is N300, but today, as the economy continues to bite harder, prices are going higher. Unfortunately prices go up every day now,” he said, gritting his teeth.
In Sokoto State, a basket of tomatoes now goes for between N90,000 and N100,000.
A trader, Mallam Usman Aliyu, who sells the soup items popularly known in the Hausa language as Kayan Miya told our correspondent that the same item (tomatoes) sold for less than N30,000 about two months ago.
“A basket of the same tomatoes you are seeing here was less than N30,000 just two months ago, but do you know it’s over N90,000 now?
“A bag of pepper which was about N60,000 only a few days back, now the same bag is about N150,000.
“Things are getting out of hand for the masses, and our government needs to come to our aide on this.”
In Gombe, when our correspondent visited Tumfure and Baban Kasuwa markets, consumers were seen lamenting the high cost of tomatoes and peppers.
It was reported that many residents have resorted to making use of dried tomatoes and pepper in the place of fresh ones.
“Not because I don’t like fresh tomatoes and pepper, but I can’t afford it. You can’t compare dried tomatoes to fresh ones; the difference is clear,” Doris Markus said, while bemoaning the cost of tomatoes in the market.
On her part, Laraba Joshua, noted that she uses dried tomatoes to boost the quantity, adding that, “I use the dried tomatoes and pepper to make the pot of stew bigger, not because i don’t know the difference.”
Alhaji Abdu Bello, a pepper seller decried the hike in prices, noting that customers have been complaining based on the quantities.
Bello said, “I’m not happy at all. Customers are not happy. It’s not like we are making so much gain. The amount we buy one basket has since tripled, and we need to make it back because people need to eat.”
At the Sheikh Mahmud Gumi Central Market in Kaduna, Mrs. Gladys Akpojiyovwi, a housewife, said she had the shock her life as she prepared for the burial of her late mother.
A survey, according to her, showed that a basket of tomatoes which sold for between N30,000 and N45,000 earlier in the year now sells for between N100,000 and N150,000 at the market.
“This was according to the trader,” she said, adding that, “before now, a basket of tomatoes was as cheap as N18,000 and N30,000 respectively.”
She continued that the current price of a big bag for (shombo pepper) is N90,000, while a small bag goes for between N40,000 to N45,000.
Earlier, the big bag of shombo went for less than N40,000. Tatase now goes for N80,000, she added.
A pepper and tomatoes trader at the Barkin-dogo market, Mallam
Ibrahim, who says he is also the market youth leader-in-charge of tomatoes in Kaduna State, attributed the soaring prices of tomatoes across the state to the outbreak of a deadly disease known as ‘Sharon’
Speaking with our correspondent, he said, “Farmers complained that the disease had resulted in the loss of millions of naira during the current farming season.”
It was reported that tuta absoluta, a moth family specie, is a destructive pest that caused a national disruption to the tomato value chain in 2015.
Ibrahim noted that the scarcity and subsequent hike in the price of tomatoes was unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, adding that “early this year, during the small Sallah, tomatoes were sold at very cheap prices
He recalled that a paint rubber of tomatoes back then sold for between N700 and N1000.
“The scarcity is a result of lack of rainfall which led farmers to lose millions of naira worth of tomatoes. As a result of this calamity, consumers faulted tomatoes dealers of hoarding the commodity, which isn’t the truth.
“You can’t hoard onions, tomatoes, and peppers because they are all perishable commodities. Once it’s out, it’s out.
“Usually, after Sallah, the commodities’ prices will fall. That has been the tradition, but of recent, this has not been so. Rather, the prices have continued to go higher.”
Another trader, Mallam Bashir Rabe Abubakar, who is a major dealer in tomatoes, peppers, and onions also at the Bakin-Dogo market in Kaduna State further
clarified that the price increase of tomatoes has nothing with the Sallah celebration.
In his estimation, the cause of the arbitrary increases in the prices of peppers and tomatoes is the alleged massive extortion by security personnel and the various local council touts stationed at the various road blocks mounted on the highways, especially at night.
“We drivers usually complain that we pay so much money to the security men at the different road blocks at night. You know we travel more at night.
“These road blocks are many and they range from the road blocks mounted by the Road Safety people, the Police, the Military check points, and some funny-looking touts and miscreants who say they are collecting the ‘due’ on behalf on the local governments.”
Painting a cursory picture of the sad situation, Abubakar said in the Hausa language, “A trip from Zaria to Lagos for instance will encounter no less than 60 to 70 of such mounted road blocks at night and imagine what is left if the driver must give out N200 at every road block and check point.
The driver does this when going and coming. You do the math.
“This is apart from the high cost of fuelling our trucks with petrol or diesel.
So, if we give out between N100 000 and N120,000 when going to a state like Lagos and still pay another round of money when returning, how do you expect the pepper and tomatoes dealers to make profits?
“These people know that we can’t refuse not to pay as the case maybe, as bribe for passage of our vehicles conveying tomatoes and other perishable commodities to the southern part of the country,” he alleged.
