INCREASED TOMATO PRODUCTION IN RWANDA

Tomato prices have greatly
reduced in markets across the
Eastern Province, with farmers
and traders attributing the
decline to increased production.
The development is a big relief
for consumers, who few weeks
back had to dig deeper into their
pockets to buy tomatoes.
Farmers told Business Times that
the prices would most likely
continue falling in the next two
months or so.
In markets around the Eastern
Province districts, traders are
selling big tins full of tomatoes at
Rwf1,000, down from Rwf5,000
recently. Wholesale prices are
between Rwf700 and Rwf800,
whereas a relatively small tin
goes for between Rwf200 and
Rwf500.
Jeanine Ugirimpuwe, a tomato
dealer in Kibungo Market, said
there is oversupply, leading to a
sharp reduction in prices.
"During this period, there is a lot
of tomatoes on the market. But
since tomatoes are perishable,
we sometimes pay farmers very
low rates because one cannot
afford to keep them lest they go
bad. So, they have no alternative,
but to sell at giveaway prices,"
she said.
Ugirimpuwe, however, said
traders were also not making a
lot of profits either.
"This is not good time for traders
to make profits because farmers
can sell directly to consumers
unlike when the farmers expect
to get 'good' money from us
during times of scarcity."
Meanwhile, the prices of beans
continue to skyrocket in markets
across all the districts in the
Eastern Province.
A kilogramme of beans, which
cost Rwf350 in June, is now at
Rwf800 in most markets in the
province.
Claude Mugiraneza, a resident of
Rwamagana District, said the
increase was possibly the
highest they have experienced in
10 years.
"We are registering record high
bean price hikes. Buying a kilo of
dry beans at Rwf800 is quite
unusual... prices have been
increasing but not to this level.
We have actually changed our
feeding habits as we cannot
afford the high prices," he noted.