Mr Oyeleke Bola, National President, Tomato and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria (TOPAN), says low harvests due to the rains and rising production costs are responsible for the current high costs of tomato in Nigeria. He disclosed this in an interview on Monday July 6 in Abuja.
Bola explained that production costs which included pest control, fertilisers and sustainability gaps affected tomato production. He also attributed rising costs to the sharp increase in the prices of seeds and other farm inputs, in addition to rising logistics costs, transportation costs, poor road conditions and severe pest infestations. He explained that the combination of these factors invariably resulted in higher prices of tomato nationwide.
According to Bola, while seasonal tomato shortages had become a recurring challenge, a coordinated response by government and the private sector could help address the problem.
He called for increased investment in the production of quality seeds, fertiliser supply, pest management, storage infrastructure and agricultural data systems to improve production.
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