Tomato and pepper farmers in Bula, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, are grappling with severe financial setbacks as the price of tomatoes plummets by 90 percent in just two weeks.
According to findings carried out by newsmen, hundreds of baskets of tomatoes and bags of pepper were seen on display in the local market, with farmers and dealers pleading with buyers to purchase the products.
However, the price of a large basket of tomatoes, which was N10,000 two weeks ago, has now fallen to N1,000. Similarly, the price of scotch bonnet (hot pepper) has dropped by 68 percent, from N50,000 to N16,000.
Alhaji Saleh Maikudi, Chairman of the Tomato Farmers Association in Bula, expressed deep frustration over the daily losses.
He revealed that farmers are losing N9,000 per basket of tomatoes, N30,000 per bag of bell pepper, and N34,000 per bag of scotch bonnet compared to what they earned two weeks ago.
“This situation is unbearable,” Maikudi stated. “Farmers are forced to beg buyers to help them reduce post-harvest losses, even at these severely low prices.”
He called on the Federal Government and Gombe State Government to intervene by providing processing facilities to help farmers avoid losses and store surplus produce.
“We have an abundance of tomatoes and pepper. Processing and storing them would prevent the kind of scarcity we faced a few months ago,” he explained.
Khalifa Bello, Chairman of the Vegetables Sellers Association in Bula, echoed the call for assistance, urging both the government and private investors to provide mini-processing plants that would allow farmers to process tomatoes into paste or powder and package them for future use.
He warned that unless the tomato value chain—from planting and harvesting to processing, packaging, and storage—is fully developed, farmers will continue to struggle for profitability.
Bello attributed the drastic drop in prices to the sheer volume of produce being harvested at the peak of the season, noting that more than 1,500 baskets of tomatoes and 2,000 bags of different types of pepper are transported out of Bula daily.
In May, a large basket of tomatoes sold for as much as N150,000, but the current prices have left farmers desperate and uncertain about their future in the industry.