Some tomato traders and consumers have lamented the recent scarcity and hike in the price of the produce in the country.

In separate interviews on Tuesday in Lagos, the traders predicted that the scarcity would likely last till late September or early October.

They attributed the scarcity and hike to the seasonal occurrence and said there was nothing they could do but sell according to the market value.

Musa Yakubu, a tomatoes trader in the popular Ile-Epo Market in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, said the boom season of tomatoes had passed.

Mr Yakubu added that the harvest season of tomatoes was over, hence the recent hike in the price of the produce.

“The tomatoes specie available currently is the plum tomatoes from the south, popularly known for their high water content and tangy taste,” Mr Yakubu said.

Umar Yusuf, another tomato seller, said the scarcity of the produce was seasonal and led to the hike in the price of the produce.

“A medium basket of tomatoes goes between N24,000 and N30,000 depending on the fruit size, while a raffia basket sells for N42,000.

“A small basket of tomatoes presently sells at N16,000 as against N5,000 or N6,000 in March/April, and this is because the produce is out of season,” Mr Yusuf said.

Some consumers said they have no choice but to improvise the use of tomatoes in their cooking due to the price hike.

Josephine Kallo, a resident of the Amuwo-Odofin area, says she buys what she can afford.

“The traders said that we are out of the season of tomatoes as the rains have begun, destroying the crops.

“We have no choice but to buy what we can afford or improvise to make meals for our families,” Ms Kallo said.

Another resident in the Ojo area of the state, Nelice Jaule, said she no longer buys fresh tomatoes because of the scarcity of the produce.

“We now use tin tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero pepper and a lot of onions for our stews as tomatoes have become gold,” Ms Jaule said.

Patricia Amanyi, a resident of the Isolo area of the state, called for preservation measures for the produce to avert recurrence.

“This seasonal scarcity and consequent hike in tomatoes price is something we have observed over the years.

“If we can learn how to preserve tomatoes in its peak season, we will not face this annual scarcity and hike in the produce price,” Ms Amanyi said.

(NAN)