The price of tomatoes has increased in most markets in Lagos, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria showed on Friday.
Femi Odusanya, the spokesman for Mile 12 market traders, attributed the increase to the off-season and the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.
Tomatoes and pepper were in abundance in the last three months, prompting a basket of tomatoes to drop to N6,000 from N18,000.
"During rainy season, tomatoes are usually costly because the wind interferes with the yield," Mr. Odusanya said. "We are appealing to the government to invest more in the preservation of agricultural produce so that we can have all-year availability of the item and even export the surplus. As it is now, consumers will continue to pay more for food items because prices keep fluctuating due to the exchange rate"
According to Mr. Odusanya, what is in abundance now is onion, because this is the season.
Basirat Balogun, Iyaloja, Mainland Market Association, urged the Federal Government to proffer solutions to the lingering fuel scarcity.
"Traders go through a lot of stress in transporting goods to the market. They will definitely add the cost differential to their goods," Ms. Balogun said.
At the Mile 12 market, a basket of tomatoes, which previously cost N6,000 now goes for N14, 000. Tatashe and chilli pepper now cost N7,000 and N5,500 respectively, as against the N4,500 and N5,000 they sold for two weeks ago.
However, onions which previously cost N10,500 now go for N8,700, while a 5-litre keg of palm oil sells for N1, 350 from N1,300.
