In many markets, the days of purchasing pepper for N500 are gradually coming to an end as the cost of tomatoes and pepper keeps rising beyond the means of the average consumer.
According to a market survey, the cost of a 50 kg basket of tomatoes has increased dramatically from roughly N62,000 to N152,000, and the price of a small bag of pepper has increased from N42,000 to N120,000. A complete 50 kg bag of pepper now costs N237,000 instead of N120,000.
Results indicated that the sharp rise in supply prices has had a substantial impact on retail costs, reducing consumers’ purchasing power and compelling many households to look for less expensive options.
Speaking about the development, Raven’s Bites manager and chef Merit Chukwunenye stated that her operating costs and profit margin have been negatively impacted by the rising cost of tomatoes and pepper.
She claims that she recently paid N4,000 at Ile-Epo Market for a half-paint bucket of pepper that she had previously purchased for N2,000.
“Pepper costs a lot of money. I used to purchase half paint for N2,000, but after haggling at Ile-Epo, I purchased it for N4,000,” she remarked.
She clarified that she hasn’t changed the cost of the meals she sells to clients despite the rise in cooking ingredients.
“I could have raised my food prices sooner if I had known that the price of pepper would rise this much. My profit margin has been negatively impacted,” she continued.
Gift Abayomi, another customer, bemoaned the fact that low-income earners find it challenging to afford the N1,000 minimum quantity of pepper currently sold in many areas.
“At this time, I am unable to purchase pepper due to financial constraints. The last one I purchased was too expensive. “Pepper for N500 is no longer available in my area,” she remarked.
She pointed out that a lot of families now use tomato paste, bell pepper, dried tomatoes, and dry pepper instead of fresh produce.
“Even though fresh pepper is healthier, we now use dry pepper, dry tomatoes, and tomato paste to prepare stew,” she stated.
In order to lower food costs and increase availability, Abayomi urged the government to get involved in the agricultural sector.
She continued, “We are begging the government to support the agricultural sector so that food items can become affordable for citizens in every season.”
In a similar vein, Emmanuel Adedoyin claimed that the amount of pepper that is currently offered for N1,000 hardly lasts a day.
“The pepper I purchased for N1,000 is incredibly tiny. He stated, “It only lasts for one day.”
He also voiced his displeasure with the financial struggles that regular Nigerians face.
“The government doesn’t pay attention. No matter what people say, nothing changes, but everyone is impacted,” he said.
African farmer Mogaji, an agribusiness educator and turnaround strategist, blamed poor agricultural planning and climate change for the price increase.
He claims that the intense heat in February affected the production of tomatoes and peppers in many northern states.
The primary causes of this year’s increase are inadequate planning and climate change. Production was severely impacted by the heat in February, he said.
He emphasised the necessity of decentralising food production throughout the nation rather than relying primarily on the supply of tomatoes and peppers from northern Nigeria.
“We must disrupt the North’s production cycle concentration. The entire nation still relies heavily on the North, despite the fact that different regions have different production windows,” he stated.
According to Mogaji, southern states have climatic advantages that could sustain the production of tomatoes and peppers during times when northern production is declining.
The weather in March and April prevents the North from producing tomatoes effectively, but the South benefits from a more favourable climate during that time, he pointed out.
Additionally, he chastised numerous governors in the South for neglecting agriculture in spite of opportunities.
He said that if agricultural investments were appropriately prioritised, southern states could export tomatoes and peppers to neighbouring West African nations in addition to meeting domestic demand.
“Many states are not taking advantage of the South’s opportunity to produce enough tomatoes and pepper for Nigeria and even export to Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso,” he stated.
Stronger government support, improved planning, regional agricultural coordination, and greater private sector involvement in farming, he argued, would be necessary to improve food security.
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