Price Surge: Tomatoes and Pepper Hit Record Highs in Lagos Markets

Favour Ojo

The prices of essential ingredients like tomatoes and pepper have skyrocketed in Lagos markets, with reports indicating a staggering increase of over 100% in some cases. A big basket of tomatoes now sells for N44,750, marking an 86.47% rise, while pepper has jumped by 85.43% to N140,000. These price hikes are attributed to supply chain disruptions, higher transport costs, weather-related harvest issues, and insecurity in food-producing states

Several factors are contributing to the price surge. Insecurity in food-producing states and poor logistics have disrupted the supply of tomatoes and pepper. Increased fuel prices and multiple checkpoints along highways have driven up transportation costs. Adverse weather conditions have affected harvests, leading to reduced supply. Additionally, Tuta Absoluta, a pest, has devastated tomato farms, further reducing output

The price increase has left consumers struggling to afford these essential ingredients. A consumer lamented, “I used to buy N500 tomato and N200 pepper, but now the prices are N1,500 and N1,000 respectively”. Many are exploring alternatives, such as using dried pepper or tomato paste, to mitigate the costs