Spoiled tomatoes sell for less in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
Illustrative image · David Iloba · Pexels · Licence PexelsAmid rising food prices, Nigerian markets are selling deteriorated tomatoes and peppers at reduced prices, as in Lagos, where three bowls cost 1,500 naira. Traders say the healthy portions remain suitable for cooking, but this choice exposes households to health risks, Punch reports.
Nigerian households are buying already deteriorated tomatoes and peppers because they are cheaper than fresh produce, Punch reports. At the Ojodu-Berger roadside market in Lagos, Ronke Adeoye paid 1,500 naira for three bowls of damaged tomatoes, whereas a bowl of fresh tomatoes costs 1,000 naira and contains around five tomatoes.
Sellers sort these products, sometimes removing the most deteriorated parts and offering them separately. Some buyers believe they can reduce the risk by removing visibly rotten pieces before cooking the rest. At the Ketu market, Ifeoluwa Olayiwola says she spends between 2,500 and 3,000 naira on these tomatoes and peppers and goes to the market twice a week.
This practice illustrates how some consumers are adapting to rising food prices. Buying deteriorated produce allows households to reduce their cooking expenses, even though the buyers quoted by Punch associate its consumption with preparation practices they believe make it acceptable.
