While the citizens are better off if the prices are crashing, farmers are groaning under heavy losses, given the investments in labour and chemicals used in the cultivation of the product.
Following the steep fall in tomato prices across Nigerian markets and the accompanying losses recorded by farmers, the President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Ondo State, Abayomi Monilare, has counselled farmers on best practices to mitigate the loss.
He urged farmers to calculate their planting time properly to avoid harvesting during a period of glut.
Mr Monilare, who was just reelected as the association's president for another term in office, spoke in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
Crash in tomato prices
Between January and May this year, a crate of tomatoes sold for between N50,000 and N70,000. Those who planted early in the season using irrigation made huge profits, attracting many farmers to venture into tomato farming.
Meanwhile, the sudden rise in the price of tomatoes early in the year drove thousands of farmers to shift from other crops to tomato planting hoping to profit from the "gold mine."
But with the rains fully set and most of the farms rain-fed, irrigation, a major requirement for tomato production, is no longer necessary. The regular Shasha Market, which is the major centre for tomato sale in Ondo State, came under a glut of tomatoes, forcing prices to crash.
By the end of August, the price of a crate of tomatoes had dropped to N12,000. Due to the situation, some farmers complained that they had to sell at N8,000.
While the citizens are better off because the prices are crashing, farmers are groaning under heavy losses, given the investments in labour and chemicals used in the cultivation of the product.
Ugly experiences
Olayinka Ademola is a farmer in Oda Town who had his tomatoes ripened recently. His hopes were dashed when he had to sell at a very low price, and with little profit margin.
"I doubt very much if what I made from the sale can cover the chemicals I bought, don't forget that labour takes much of the money," he said.
Although he hopes to return to the farm and not give up, he said he will be more careful in his future investment.
A female farmer, identified simply as Kemi, said she was thankful to have been able to sell what she had and managed to get a little from it, given the situation of the market.
"I will not complain too much even though my expectation was not met. I know it is the season when everybody is coming to the market with tomatoes, that is how it is," she said.
Praise Braimah, another female tomato farmer, said she had to resort to selling the tomatoes in retail to improve her profits instead of giving them out cheaply at wholesale.
Despite the situation, the rush for planting is not slowing down. Farmers are trying to take advantage of the rains to cultivate more tomatoes, knowing that the dry season is not far away.
President's counsel
The AFAN President, Mr Monilare, said although he is a farmer, he is happy that the prices of the produce had dropped in market, having brought relief to the masses.
Mr Monilare, who had just been reelected as president for another term in office, noted that given the current economic hardship, it was a good sign that prices of tomatoes had dropped tremendously.
"Money is not everything, we have to consider the plight of residents," he said.
"It also means that more people have gone into tomato production, leading to increased availability of the product."
However, he suggested that proper calculations at the time of cultivation would help farmers avoid the traps of losses during the current season.
"Farmers must learn to do some calculations and determine accurate planting periods if they will make tomato farming profitable," he said.
"With the rains when tomatoes are easily cultivated, the prices are bound to drop because of the volume of production."
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He lamented the absence of government intervention, saying it is one of the reasons farmers are suffering.
"The lack of ... a cold room for storage has left tomato farmers without options. They have to sell or lose out completely," Mr Monilare said.
"If there are subsidies, the Agro inputs would be cheaper and farmers would grow more at cheaper rates, and there would be enough and affordable foods for the people."
Meanwhile, the current prices of tomatoes in the Shasha Market are expected to drop further as tomatoes from the northern part of the country are expected.
According to some farmers, they are hoping to resume planting in February, which is the best period to produce tomatoes with high profit margins.
"But that is only possible with irrigation, even up until May, those who plant tomatoes would have to irrigate, and that is what makes the difference," Mr Monilare added.
