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Glut cuts tomato prices to Sh20 a kilo

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Stephen Mbithe selling tomatoes at Ngara Market in the past. Hundreds tomato farmers in Kirinyaga County are a worried lot following a sharp fall in prices. PHOTO | FILE |

Hundreds tomato farmers in Kirinyaga County are a worried lot following a sharp fall in prices.

A spotcheck established that one kilogramme of tomatoes now costs Sh20 down from Sh120.
The drastic change of prices is forcing farmers from the region which is leading in horticulture to sell their produce at throw-away prices.
Farmers attributed the poor prices to a glut and a lack of ready market.

“We had a bumper harvest but unfortunately there is no market for our produce.
“In fact we are incurring heavy losses because prices have plummeted,” said Ms Mary Kariuko, a farmer.
Some growers are now feeding their cows with tomatoes as there are very few buyers.

“We are feeding our cows with tomatoes and it is hard for us to make any profit,” said Ms Kariuko.

Some of the produce is rotting in farms in Mwea and other parts of the county because the farmers lack cooling plants for storage and preservation.

No one to buy

The farmers said they depend on the tomatoes to educate their children and meet other financial needs “but now we shall suffer,” said Ms Kariuko.

Another farmer, Simon Chomba, said he had planted the tomatoes on his half-acre piece of land but he could not get anyone to buy the produce.

READ: Tomato prices drop 25pc

“When I take the produce to the market I do not get buyers and I end up returning home a frustrated farmer,” said Mr Chomba.
The farmer regrets having planted the tomatoes which are now going to waste.

“I invested heavily in this farming but I’m not getting any returns. If I knew that there will be no market I would not have grown the crop,” he said.

Beth Wakathare, a farmer, said she spent all the money she had in buying farm inputs but when she started selling tomatoes, she found that the price had fallen sharply.

“The prices are so low that I will not make profit. I may not even be able to continue with this kind of farming,” she said.