Abuja Housewives Lament Soaring Prices Of Tomatoes

On Sunday, some housewives in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja said they had ditched tomatoes for stews and other sauces due to rising costs.

According to the villagers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, they have resorted to using garden eggplants and carrots in their stews.

They said that garden eggs, known as “ganyen gauta” in Hausa, “igba” in Yoruba, and “anyara” in Igbo, could blend as well as tomatoes with rice.

Others stated that they were experimenting with pumpkin, pawpaw, or traditional soups such as white soup and palm fruit soup, also known as banga soup, in place of tomato stew.

Mrs Jumai Amodu, a mother of five, stated that going a week without rice and tomato stew was unsatisfying for her and her family.

Rice with stew was a constant on their menu, she added, and “there is an unexplainable satisfaction that comes with taking cooked rice and stew.”

However, the mother of five stated that due to the shortage and high cost of tomatoes, her family was considering garden egg stew.

“Since tomatoes became very expensive, we decided to use garden egg for stew, and it is as sweet as tomato stew,” Amodu explained.

“The only major difference between garden egg stew and tomato stew is color.”

“We also use pumpkin stew with rice sometimes, and although it has it’s unique taste, it blends well with rice.”

Mrs Helen Omo, a businesswoman, said that while tomato stew was a staple in almost every Nigerian home, its shortage has prompted some Nigerians to consider alternatives.

“I went to the market yesterday to get some tomatoes for stew, and a large bushel, which normally costs N2000 to N2500, was selling for as much as N6500.”

“I didn’t bother haggling the price because it was way out of my price range,” she explained.

Mrs Rukkaya Umar, Chief Executive Officer of Abraks Farm Produce Nigeria Limited, stated that the main reason for tomato scarcity was the high cost of fertilizer.

Many tomato farmers, she claims, do not produce it because they cannot afford fertilizer, despite the fact that fertilizer is vital to its growth.

Umar also stated that one of the causes for the scarcity was the emphasis on seasonal farming, mentioning tomatoes as an example.

“Most farmers in Nigeria still practice seasonal farming, which contributes significantly to farm produce scarcity, particularly during their off-seasons,” she explained.

According to NAN, a large basket of tomatoes, which formerly cost about N10,000, now costs about N35,000, with larger baskets costing more.