Why housewives, caterers, others are crying over rising cost of tomatoes

•Tomato Growers finger industrial buyers exit•Our stew now black –HousewivesBy Cynthia Alo

Many housewives, caterers and other tomato consumers across the country are lamenting over the worsening tomato price instability, saying it has reduced the quality of meals and contributed to rising food inflation.

Farmers, however, blamed the collapse of industrial off-take arrangements and the shutdown of major tomato processing companies for deepening losses across the value chain.

They said the exit of large-scale buyers has discouraged production, heightened market uncertainty and contributed to rising prices.Despite being Africa’s second-largest tomato producer after Egypt, producing between 1.8 million and 2.3 million metric tonnes annually, tomatoes have remained one of the key products driving food inflation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation rose to 16.96 per cent in May 2026 from 16.68 per cent in April.

Prices double in three weeks