By BITRUS REJOICE & EUNICE IBRAHIM
Tomato farmers in Plateau State have recorded a bumper harvest this year, thanks to the absence of blight that usually destroys crops during the rainy season.
A farmer, Mr. Iliya Bawa Ibrahim, told THE NIGERIA STANDARD yesterday that this year’s harvest was “much better than last year’s because the rain was not accompanied with blight that used to destroy the tomatoes yield.”
He disclosed that the joy of every farmer was to have access to subsidised insecticides and fertilizers during the farming season.
Sharing his experience, Mr. Wilson Kash described tomato farming as a risky venture due to the crop’s perishable nature.
“Tomatoes cannot be stored for long; if they are not sold after harvest, the alternative is to take them home, cut and dry them for later sale. This helps reduce the loss that would have been incurred,” he explained.
Both Mr. Ibrahim and Mr. Kash appealed to government at all levels to address the high cost of farming inputs, especially fertilizer and insecticides.
“We did not find it easy, particularly this year, when a bag of fertilizer has been sold for N65,000 from January till now. This is not okay for us as farmers,” they lamented.
A tomato seller, Mr. K.T. Sale, disclosed that the market situation was more favourable this year compared to 2024.
“Last year, a small basket sold for N20,000 at the peak of the rainy season, but this year it is N5,000 to N6,000. However, despite the high prices last year, patronage was more than what we are experiencing this year,” he explained.
Similarly, Mr. Aminu Shuaibu, a seller of UTC brand tomatoes in Jos, said: “Last year, I sold a small basket for N25.000, but this year it is N12.000 to H14,000. Tomatoes are cheaper because many more people have gone into farming.”
Another seller, Mrs. Kyende Ivey, noted that tomato business was always a capital risk.
“As a seller, you must understand that today’s patronage may not be the same tomorrow, so one must be ready for both profit and loss,” she said.
Buyers, Miss Grace Bitrus and Miss A. Irene, confirmed that tomatoes were much cheaper this year, saying they were happy to afford enough for stew and other meals.