In recent times there has been a steady increase in the price of food stuff especially pepper and tomatoes but the last few days has been nothing short of alarming.
Moji Delano has this to say:
Yesterday I went to market and couldn’t believe it when I priced tomatoes and one piece sold for N100. In fact some traders sold 4 medium pieces in a pan for N500. The price of big and small Pepper (tatasè and atarodo) wasn’t as bad however. For the big pepper about 3 medium sizes for N100 while the smaller pepper was even cheaper.
When I asked around for what could possibly be the reason for the sudden surge, I was told that there is a diversion in supply of tomatoes to Lagos as most of the suppliers now prefer to supply Dangote’s Tomato factory before anywhere else. I don’t know though if this Tomato price hike is felt in other western states or around the country.
It will recalled that news spread a couple of months ago that the Dangote Group, owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has opened a tomato-processing factory near Nigeria’s northern city of Kano aimed at vying for the local market with imports from China. “We have fully started operations today and the target is 1,200 metric tons per day,” the managing director of Dangote Farms Limited, which runs the plant, Abdulkareem Kaita, said in an interview.
While I couldn’t verify if this is the only reason for the surge in the price of tomatoes, there’s no doubt that the increase is felt by many Lagosians as I have heard it been discussed in many circles by women who no doubt feel the hole the recent hike is drilling in their pockets, and still have to feed their families regardless. Nigerians are strong sha.
While we are still trying to comprehend and deal with the new N145 naira per litre, now we have to deal with not being able to afford ‘Tomatoes’? Hian! I don’t even know what to say about this because it sounds ridiculous to say ‘ the government should look into your it’ when there seems to be so many other pressing get issues we are dealing with as a country.
But then again, food is also important for survival na, and almost everyone consumes tomatoes right? Wo, guys, let me know what you think about this tomato price hike. Me I’m not finding it funny at all.