Farmers Give Update on Tomato Prices Ahead of Ramadan
- Tomato farmers have shared insights into what to expect regarding the pricing of tomatoes during the upcoming Ramadan fast
- NAPTAN says Ramadan will coincide with peak tomato harvest season this year, unlike previous years, hence a high supply is expected
- The association noted that the demand for tomatoes may decline during the fast, putting further pressure on prices
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Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Tomato prices across Nigeria are unlikely to rise during the forthcoming Ramadan fast, contrary to the usual seasonal trend, according to the National Tomatoes Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN).
The association’s Kaduna State chairman, Rabiu Zuntu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), noting that favourable harvest conditions and the timing of Ramadan are expected to keep prices low.
Source: Getty Images
Zuntu explained that in previous years, tomato and pepper prices typically increased during Ramadan due to reduced supply.
However, he said this year’s situation is different, as farmers are recording high yields and the fasting period coincides with peak harvest season.
He said farmers experienced poor returns last year due to low produce prices and rising input costs, which encouraged many to switch to vegetable cultivation, especially in northern states.
Farmers say there is more supply in 2026
According to him, the increased cultivation has led to abundant tomato supplies, despite challenges such as the Tuta absoluta pest, which often affects tomato farms.
Zuntu added that Ramadan usually begins around April, a period associated with low market supply after the main harvest season. This year, however, the fast is expected to run between February and March, aligning with peak tomato harvests in states such as Kaduna and Kano.
He further explained that demand for food items, including tomatoes, often drops during Ramadan because Muslims skip breakfast and lunch, which also affects market prices.
“The price of tomatoes is largely determined by demand and supply. When supply is high, prices naturally fall,” he said.
Tomato prices will not rise in Ramadan 2026
He added that Nigerians should not anticipate an increase in tomato prices during the fasting period.
Providing current market figures, Zuntu said a 50kg basket of tomatoes in northern markets presently sells for between N7,000 and N10,000, depending on size and variety. He noted that the same basket sold for as low as N5,000 in recent weeks.
Source: Getty Images
However, due to transportation and logistics costs, he said prices in southern markets range between N18,000 and N20,000 for a 50kg basket.
Zuntu also commended the national leadership of the association for engaging the government to support vegetable farmers and appealed to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to assist farmers ahead of the 2026 planting season, particularly with access to farm inputs.
Astronomy predicts start of Ramadan 2025
Legit.ng reported that the Islamic holy month has been projected to begin on February 19 and offer shorter fasting hours after several years of longer summer fasts.
Daily fasting durations across most Arab countries were expected to range between 12 and 13 hours due to the seasonal shift toward late winter.
Muslims in higher latitude regions were forecast to experience longer fasts, though less demanding than previous peak summer Ramadans.
Source: Legit.ng
