By Fatima Muraina

Tomato farmers in Ondo State are lamenting a glut in tomato production, which they attribute to the government’s lack of proactive measures in the agricultural sector.

They have called for urgent intervention to cushion the losses suffered by farmers and to curb the high prices at which retailers continue to sell the commodity.

The State Chairman of the Tomato Farmers Association, Mr. Adebiyi Oluwalanu, disclosed this in an interview with The Hope.

Oluwalanu explained that many farmers had invested heavily in tomato cultivation, even employing irrigation methods to enhance production.

This led to a surge in supply as all the farmers brought their produce to market simultaneously, resulting in a glut.

He noted that the government had made several promises to assist farmers, particularly by operationalising the tomato processing factory in Arigidi.

“The Arigidi tomato factory is lying idle while we’re experiencing excess production.

The glut could have been tackled if the factory had been processing the tomatoes into paste,” he said.

According to him, farmers who obtained loans for production have now incurred heavy debts due to the crash in market prices.

“They are currently forced to sell a crate of tomatoes for as low as ₦5,000 to ₦10,000, down from the previous ₦60,000 or more,” he said.

He also expressed dismay that, despite the glut, retailers continue to sell at exorbitant prices to consumers.

He appealed to the public, especially consumers, to purchase their tomatoes directly from farm markets such as Shasha Market in Iba Uke, along Iwo Road.

Commenting on the situation, a tomato trader who requested anonymity confirmed purchasing crates for ₦10,000 but admitted to selling at high prices to recoup previous losses.

Another trader simply remarked, “This is our time to make money.”

In a telephone conversation with The Hope, a northern tomato farmer, Mallam Usman Mamman, stated that tomatoes remain expensive in the northern region due to insufficient rainfall.

He explained that the few farmers still cultivating the crop depend on irrigation, which significantly raises production costs.