Residents in Northern Nigeria are struggling to afford basic necessities like tomatoes and peppers as prices continue to skyrocket despite being in season, as reported in Punch.
A big basket of tomatoes reportedly now sells for N65,000, up from N17,000 in January, while a bag of pepper costs N52,000, up from N10,000.
The prices were expected to drop after the Eid-il-Kabir celebration but have continued to rise uncontrollably, forcing residents to switch to alternatives like sachet tomatoes.
Reaction To Hike In Tomatoes and Peppers Price
Many households, like the family of Halima Musa and Joy Abraham, who are both housewives, lamented to Punch about the unaffordability of fresh tomatoes and peppers, with Abraham stating that she has stopped cooking with them due to their high prices.
Abraham lamented; “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.”
Musa also told Punch that a big basket of tomatoes, which cost N17,000 in early January, now sells for N65,000, while a bag of peppers that sold for N10,000 now goes for N52,000.
Consumers were seen lamenting the high cost of tomatoes and peppers in Gombe’s Tumfure and Baban Kasuwa markets, as well.
Punch reports that many residents have resorted to making use of dried tomatoes and pepper in 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,
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.”
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.”
Fresh tomatoes and peppers are now out of reach for poor families in Adamawa State, according to reports, while local eateries and other restaurant operators are also suffering from this price surge.
A Punch 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.
Some of the traders attributed the high cost of the two commodities to the “unbearable high cost of transporting the commodities into the state.”
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 costs ₦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 peppers is a difficult task.
Don’t miss this: Peter Obi Benefited from Nigeria’s Collective Anger, says Aisha Yesufu
Jimeta also attributed the development to the high cost of transporting the commodities and the prevailing insecurity in some parts of the North.
He stated, “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.”
A restaurant operator, Grace Ishaya, said the development forced her to close 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.
The situation has left many residents in despair, and many businesses, especially food businesses contemplating to shut down. Residents are now calling on the government to take urgent action to address the situation.
“The government must urgently intervene into the situation and deliberately crash prices of good in the markets with a view to regulating them,” one resident stated.
Another resident tweeted, “This is a clear failure of the government to provide basic necessities for its citizens. We are suffering and the government is not doing anything to help.”
