Tomato farming has caused farmers huge losses of late which they may never recover. This was due to the high cost of production and low selling prices. But what happened?
As we had predicted earlier this year on crops to watch in 2022, the tomato market was very uncertain and with minimal chances of profits all factors considered.
The drought experienced in the country had a minimal effect on production. Actually, the production and supply were still high despite most rivers drying.
Farmers’ perception that tomatoes do well in dry seasons pushed many farmers to invest in tomato farming. Small and large-scale farmers especially from highland regions intensified their tomato farming with the hope of good market prices.
It’s true that in dry seasons the cost of diseases such as fungal is low compared to rainy seasons. Read Also: Why do farmers make losses despite bumper harvest
Most of the farmer’s harvests coincided with the month of September and spilled to October.
The market flooding was so bad that prices fell to less than KES 10 per kilo. That’s if you were lucky to find a buyer. The unlucky farmers had to watch hopelessly as their tomatoes rot in their farms due to a lack of buyers.
However, there is hope as tomato market prices start to rise due to a decline in farmers’ supply. The quality of tomatoes has also declined with most fruits being thin and small.
Currently, the average prices have increased to almost double from KES 10 to KES 20 per kilo in most markets.
Since most tomato farmers have not recovered from their losses, it is very unlikely for most of them to invest in tomato farming again.
Actually, most of them have taken a break from tomato farming, and this may lead to a shortage in this month of December and January 2023.
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