FCT Residents Protest Rising Tomato Prices

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have voiced concern over the continued rise in tomato prices.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, locals said the increase is affecting both traders and consumers.

A market survey carried out by NAN in several FCT markets revealed a sharp rise in tomato prices over recent weeks.

At Suleija market, vegetable seller Malam Isah Ado noted that the surge is hurting businesses. “A big basket of tomatoes, which sold for between N85,000 and N90,000 a few weeks ago, now sells for between N150,000 and N170,000,” he said. He blamed seasonal scarcity, post‑harvest losses and high transportation costs from farms to markets for the price jump.

Ms Philomena Bassey, a tomato seller at Garki New Market, said the cost of transporting produce from producing states to Abuja has continued to climb. “Customers think we are ripping them off and making a lot of profit from our sales, but that is not the case. We buy these tomatoes sometimes cheaply from the farms where they are produced, but by the time they get to Abuja, the price will have gone up,” she explained. “So, we have to factor in all of these factors, which makes the cost of the product increase.”

Small‑scale trader “Mummy Juli” from Kubwa village said tomatoes are now very scarce in the market. “The scarcity has made tomatoes very expensive to buy, thus forcing us to also adjust our prices,” she said. “I used to share a basket of tomatoes with three other traders, but now I have to share with five colleagues because of the increased price in the market.” She added that a small bucket of tomatoes she usually sells for between N4,000 and N4,500 now sells for between N8,000 and N10,000. “Due to the hike in price, I can no longer sell a portion of tomatoes for less than N1,000 as against N100,” she said. “This has led to reduced sales in my business because the majority of my customers are very low‑income earners who buy in small quantities.” “As the situation is right now, there is nothing I can do; I have to keep managing and hope for the best,” she said.

Mrs Angella Ikenna, a mother of two shopping at Dutse Market, said the rising cost of tomatoes is affecting her family’s food budget. “I used to buy the tomatoes I need for a week, but due to their price, I now buy only what I need for a day or two,” she said.

Similarly, Mr Moses Sunday, a nurse, lamented that the rising cost of tomatoes is compounding the country’s economic situation.

Mrs Badia Muhammad from Dei‑Dei said the price increase is impacting many households. “We use tomatoes almost in every meal, but due to the sharp rise, we can no longer afford to buy them as we used to and have to opt for cheaper alternatives. We appeal to the government to address the issues affecting the supply of tomatoes and implement measures that will enhance production.”

The post FCT residents decry rising cost of tomatoes appeared first on Vanguard News.