Tomato prices expected to fall in October, farmers assure Nigerians

…says US‑Iran War, insecurity, high input prices, others triggered high prices

By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

Tomato farmers represented by the Tomatoes and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria (TOOPAN) told Vanguard that tomato prices are expected to fall sharply in October.

TOOPAN president Mr Oyeleke Bola explained that the current supply of fresh tomatoes is far below the demand from consumers and large food‑processing industries that use the fruit as a raw material.

Despite challenges along the value chain, Nigeria remains Africa’s second‑largest tomato producer after Egypt, with annual production ranging from 1.8 million to 2.3 million metric tonnes and peak years reaching up to 3.6 million tonnes.

“We will be looking at October 2026; prices will crash by that time,” Mr Bola said. “October is the next harvesting month, and at that time there will be huge harvests because a lot of our farmers will be harvesting their tomatoes to complement others so that we can have enough in the market, and when we have enough in the market, the price will surely come down.”

He added that harvests in October will come from Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, and the southwestern states of Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, and parts of Lagos (Badagry and Epe).

“Our small‑scale farmers are working very hard. Nigerians should have patience with us, as all of us need to come together to make sure that we solve this problem together,” he said.

“Currently, we are doing 25, 30, and 35 tonnes per hectare. Some farmers in the north are doing 30 to 35 tonnes per hectare, while some farmers in the South‑West are doing 25 to 30 or 20 to 25 tonnes per hectare.”

Mr Bola attributed the recent price rise to high input costs linked to the US‑Iran war, which has increased the cost of imported fertilisers, as well as to limited tomato cultivation, rising insecurity in tomato‑producing states, high seed costs, poor access to finance, and other productivity‑affecting factors.

TOOPAN is working to mitigate these challenges by partnering with seed and fertiliser companies to offer farmers affordable inputs and by providing training on best agronomic practices.

Vanguard News

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