Tomato Prices Explode – Plus 5 Staples Still Worth Buying Now

CTN Market Watch: Week 26 – Where to shop smart this week

Column summary intro:
Welcome to CTN Market Watch – your weekly companion for finding quality goods at reasonable prices across Nigeria. Each week, we break down current market trends, highlight the best spots to buy staple foods, vegetables, protein, and household items, and help you avoid price gouging. Plus: global price moves that affect your wallet. Here’s what’s happening in Week 26.

Why keep coming back to CTN?
Because we don’t just give prices — we tell you where to go, when to buy, and what’s coming next week. No other platform breaks down local and global market shifts this clearly, this fast, and this free. Bookmark this column.

Global market brief – how the world affects your shopping this week

· Palm oil futures down another 2% – Indonesia export surplus continues. Local palm oil may drop a little more.
· Wheat prices up 3% – dry weather returns to Russia. Flour and bread could rise again by Week 28.
· Rice prices stable – Vietnam and Thailand hold prices. Imported rice not moving much.
· Sugar prices up another 5% – Brazil damage worsens. Local sugar will keep climbing.
· Crude oil at $83/barrel – diesel stable around ₦1,100–₦1,200.

What this means for you:
Tomatoes are now spiking as predicted. Sugar is a crisis – buy now. Meat bargains are ending – last call. Palm oil still okay but don’t wait forever. Flour and bread may reverse their slight drop soon.

Week 26 market snapshot (June 22 – June 28)

· Tomatoes up 40–50% from last week – Plateau harvest officially ended. Prices will keep climbing.
· Meat prices rising again – post-Sallah clearance over. Ram meat up 15% from last week.
· Palm oil still dropping slightly – but may bottom out soon.
· Local rice up another 5% – demand outstripping supply.
· Sugar up sharply – ₦2,500/kg now common in many cities.

5 staples still worth buying now (before more increases):

1. Sugar – still rising, buy for 2 months
2. Palm oil – still okay price, buy small
3. Frozen chicken – last of the diesel relief
4. Onions – still low, buy for storage
5. Beans – paused for now, buy before next surge

3 staples to avoid or reduce:

1. Tomatoes – too expensive, use stored or paste
2. Imported rice – still overpriced vs local
3. Bread – may rise again soon, buy weekly only

Best buys by region – what to pay (reasonable cost guide)

Southwest (Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta)

· Tomatoes (1 basket): ₦25,000–₦30,000 – Idi-Oro – up sharply from ₦15,000 last week
· Ofada rice (50kg): ₦65,000–₦70,000 – Mushin – up 5%, still best value
· Frozen chicken (1kg): ₦4,800–₦5,300 – Agege – stable, last of cheap prices
· Palm oil (1 litre): ₦3,300–₦3,700 – Mushin – still dropping slightly
· Bread (600g sliced): ₦1,600–₦1,900 – flat but may rise soon
· Fresh ram meat (1kg): ₦4,000–₦4,800 – Agege abattoir – up from last week
· Sugar (1kg): ₦2,400–₦2,800 – Mushin – buy now
· Onions (1 bag, 50kg): ₦80,000–₦88,000 – still good value

Southeast (Enugu, Onitsha, Aba)

· Garri (white, 2kg sack): ₦2,200–₦2,600 – Ogbete – stable
· Abakaliki rice (50kg): ₦68,000–₧73,000 – Ogbete – up, buy now
· Palm oil (1 litre): ₦3,500–₦4,000 – Ogbete – down slightly
· Goat meat (1kg): ₦5,000–₦5,500 – Relief Market – up from post-Sallah low
· Frozen chicken (1kg): ₦5,000–₦5,400 – Ogbete cold rooms – stable
· Sugar (1kg): ₦2,400–₦2,700 – Ogbete – rising fast
· Tomatoes (1 basket): ₦26,000–₦31,000 – Ogbete – use paste instead
· Onions (1 bag): ₦78,000–₦85,000 – Ogbete – still okay

North (Kano, Kaduna, Abuja)

· Onions (1 big bag, 50kg): ₦70,000–₦76,000 – Kurmi – still cheapest, buy for storage
· Sweet potatoes (1 heap): ₦700–₦900 – Dei-Dei – still cheap
· Beans (oloyin, 1 mudu): ₦2,400–₦2,700 – Singa – paused, buy now
· Ram meat (1kg): ₦3,500–₦4,200 – Kurmi abattoir – up from last week but still okay
· Sugar (1kg): ₦2,300–₦2,600 – Kurmi – cheapest in Nigeria, stock up
· Flour (50kg): ₦50,000–₦54,000 – Kurmi – may rise soon
· Tomatoes (1 basket): ₦22,000–₦26,000 – Kurmi – cheapest region, but still up
· Frozen chicken (1kg): ₦4,700–₦5,100 – Abuja cold rooms – still reasonable

South-South (PH, Warri, Uyo)

· Palm oil (1 litre, native thick): ₦2,800–₦3,200 – Effurun – now under ₦3,000 in many spots
· Fresh catfish (medium, 1kg): ₦4,000–₦4,500 – Mile 1 Diobu – stable
· Plantain (bunch, ripe): ₦2,800–₦3,300 – Iwofe road – up slightly
· Smoked bonga fish (big piece): ₦600–₦750 – Uyo main – stable
· Local rice (50kg): ₦66,000–₧70,000 – Uyo – up, buy now
· Frozen chicken (1kg): ₦4,800–₦5,200 – Warri cold rooms – stable
· Sugar (1kg): ₦2,300–₦2,600 – Uyo – buy now
· Tomatoes (1 basket): ₦24,000–₦28,000 – Uyo main – avoid, use paste

Price trend analysis for Week 26 – what’s up, what’s down

· Tomatoes up 45% – worst yet to come. Use stored or paste.
· Sugar up 12% from last month – global shortage biting. STOCK UP.
· Local rice up 5% – demand high. Buy this week.
· Meat up 15% from post-Sallah low – bargains over.
· Palm oil down 3% – third week of decline. May bottom soon.
· Frozen chicken stable – last chance at current prices.
· Onions still low – buy for storage now.
· Beans stable – buy before next surge.
· Eggs (1 crate): ₦4,000–₦4,400 – stable.

Shopping tip of the week
Tomatoes are now too expensive. If you didn’t preserve last week, switch to tomato paste for the next 4–6 weeks. A 70g tin of paste costs ₦500–₦700 and replaces 5–7 fresh tomatoes in stews. That’s ₦1,500–₦2,500 worth of fresh tomatoes replaced for ₦700. For families that cook daily, this saves ₦10,000–₦15,000 monthly during the tomato lean season. Use 2 tins per stew and add pepper, onions, and seasoning to stretch further.