By Mercy Omoike

Some Lagos residents have lamented the high cost of tomatoes across the country opting for alternatives to the produce.

The residents in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos said the high cost of the produce made them seek alternatives in line with the current economic realities.

A resident at Amuwo area of the state, Mrs Olachi Iroha, said she uses the alternative of palm kernel for stews due to the high cost of tomatoes.

“Tomato is actually expensive now, so if the costs keep rising, we will switch to the alternative.

“I bought a small paint bucket for N8,000 recently after much plea, if the situation continues like this, we will put the purchase of tomatoes on hold.

“I will go on to use palm kernel stew popularly known as ‘ofe akwu’, if I cannot afford tomatoes when next I want to make a pot of stew.

“There is nothing we can do about the situation, we will just buy what we can afford,” she said.

Also, Mrs Temitope Babalola-Hodonu, a resident at Alimosho area of the state, hoped for a drop in the price of the produce, while lamenting how much she had to spend for the same quantity she usually buys.

“I bought a mini basket over the weekend at N50,000. I felt so bad spending so much on what I would have bought at N15,000 or N18,000 weeks back.

“The tomato is not even readily available in the market, so I quickly had to buy the one I saw.

“We do hope for a change in this situation, because not everybody likes tomato alternatives,” she said.

Also, a cooked food seller, popularly known as Iya Adetoun, at Dopemu area of the state, said the cost of tomato is crippling profits in the food catering business.

“We have not been finding it easy in the cooking business since this hike in tomato prices, and we cannot use alternative for mass cooking.

“A small bucket of tomatoes that I used to buy for N6,000 or N7,000 was sold to me for N35,000 over the weekend.

“We hope the price drops because how can we break even if we continue buying at this exorbitant price?” she said.

On her part, Mrs Anne Odafe, a resident at Ago Palace Way area of the state, said she augments the little tomatoes she can buy with tin tomatoes.

“The price of tomatoes is currently too expensive and cannot meet the volume I need to prepare for my family.

“Tomatoes worth N4,000 cannot go anywhere if you consider the quantity of stew you need to prepare. Some people blend cucumbers with their tomatoes to increase the quantity.

“What I do is that I add more tin tomatoes than usual, just to boost the quantity my family needs,” Odafe said.

Another consumer, Mrs Ifeoma Okoye, said she uses cucumber, spring onions and cabbage to make her stew.

“The high cost of tomato is no longer funny considering the low purchasing power of most households.

“I can’t wait for the price to drop because no alternative tastes like tomato stew,” she said.

NAN reports that 50kg of tomatoes sells as high as N50,000 up North, while the same quantity is sold between N85,000 and N100,000 from late June till date in Lagos. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma