Tomato scarcity bites as heavy rains hit harvests

Hundreds of tomato farmers in Loitoktok, Kajiado are counting huge losses after heavy rains pounding the region destroyed their produce.

In the past month, tomato prices have tripled in the region due to low production.

Farmers and retailers blame the situation on the heavy rains and the prices are expected to rise further if the rains do not reduce. December remains a peak season for tomato farmers in Kajiado.

Over the years, Loitokitok, Kimana and Isinet in Kajiado South have supplied tomatoes to Nairobi and regional markets.

The semi-arid county has in the recent years turned to tomato growing, with many farmers cultivating the crop under irrigation.

However, areas that are semi-arid or usually have warm weather where tomatoes grow well have been hit by the lower temperatures.

The heavy rains have come with cooler weather, destroying the crops as farmers looked forward to good prices during the festive season.

The extreme weather conditions have led to a rise in diseases that include blight, bacterial wilt and root-knot nematodes affecting production.

Pests like whiteflies, caterpillars and aphids have also found the weather conducive, compounding problems for farmers.

A turbo crate of tomato — a modified crate of tomato comprising three normal crates — that used to fetch a farmer Sh6,000 is currently retailing between Sh9,000-Sh12,000.

John Njoroge, a large-scale tomato farmer in Kimana, said the heavy rains came early, destroying his flowering crops.

The dejected farmer said he had hoped to earn more than Sh500,000 by January but he might end up with nothing despite the high cost of farm inputs he had incurred.