Kenyans now have to dig deeper into in their pockets to spice their meals with tomatoes in the wake of increased prices.
The commodity's price has tripled in the past two month in what dealers attribute to a high demand against a low supply due to the rainy and cold weather in many parts of the country
The traders attributed the increased cost to reduced supply in the market and transportation challenges occasioned by inaccessibility to some tomato growing zones due to flooding.
Compared to the two months leading up to August, tomato prices recorded a low, where a kilo of tomatoes was selling for as little as Sh30 at the popular Soko Mjinga market along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
One tomato is now selling at Sh20, while in early October the same amount could get you three of the same size.
“We are now buying a wooden crate at Sh11, 000 that’s three times the Sh3, 500 cost we used to buy a couple of months ago. In the estates it rises to about Sh13, 000,” said Priscilla Gichogo a tomato trader at Muthurwa Market.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index, the month-on-month price for tomatoes increased from Sh77.31 in September to Sh81.46 in October and is expected to rise further when November figures will be out.
A kilo of tomatoes is retailing Sh119 at Naivas Supermarket while at Carrefour 6 tomatoes go for Sh69.
Official data shows that Kenya's annual inflation rate rose slightly in October, with price rises for fuel, transport and food remaining important contributors.
Rising prices of vegetables such as onions, spinach, Sukuma wiki and tomatoes have kept food inflation high.
The sudden rise in tomato prices is now forcing household and traders alike to device new means of survival.
In Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), many egg and sausage vendors that the Star spoke to are expressing concerns about the soaring prices of tomatoes.
They claim that the rising tomato costs have made it increasingly difficult for them to procure the essential ingredients for kachumbari (a mixture of tomatoes and onions) that they use as salad for customers to spice their eggs and sausages.
“Just last month prices of eggs went up, before that it was onions and now tomatoes, but our hands are tied as we can’t just raise our prices because customers will avoid buying,” said a vendor.
Ironically around May 2023 tonnes of tomatoes went to waste due to an oversupply and a lack of market demand.
The agriculture sector survey conducted by the CBK in September showed that fewer people (45.1 percent) expect commodity prices to rise over the next three months to the end of the year.
CBK governor Kamau Thugge noted that food has remained among commodities pushing up inflation in the country.
