Tomatoes still crazily expensive, housewives laments

The price of tomatoes seems to be getting worse, getting far away from the reach of the masses. Even at Ile Epo  where traders buy to resell, it is still the same tale. Gone are the days one would buy N300 worth of tomatoes to make stew for a household. Now housewives would use nothing less than N600 worth of tomatoes to make a pot of stew. Some would even supplement it with either dry tomatoes or tin tomatoes before it can be enough for a family of four in three days.

Encomium.ng’s checks revealed six pieces of tomatoes is sold  for N100, and in some cases, seven pieces which is a far cry from the status quo.

According to Mrs. Ajayi who spoke with encomium.ng about this development, she stated, “It is really getting worse, I just don’t understand.  How will I buy six pieces of tomatoes for N100. N50 worth is even terrible, you will be given four or three pieces. How much will I buy to make a pot of stew?”

Madam Alice’s story was not different from our findings. According to her “going to Ile Epo is not worth it unless you have so many things to buy. At Ile Epo you would still get N400 worth that would make stew but you would transport yourself to the place. Before now, N250 tomatoes is sufficient to make stew, I don’t know what the country is turning to.”

Madam Ngozi also added, “I used to supplement it. I would buy N200 fresh tomatoes, N100 dry tomatoes and I would add two satchel tomatoes to it

That is how we have been managing.”

Also speaking with encomium. ng, Musa, a tomato seller, stated unclear reasons for the unusual skyrocketing price of tomatoes.

“That is how we have been buying it, a basket of tomatoes  is N18,000 – N21,000 which is not supposed to be. It is what we buy that we would sell.”