Some farmers in Lusaka have blamed the Zambian government for the drop in tomato prices saying imported tomatoes from Tanzania have flooded Kasumbalesa market thereby distorting the market price.
In an interview with Diamond News, a farmer who sought anonymity says the government has failed to secure the Nakonde border post, leading to the easy transportation of the commodity from Tanzania to Kasumbalesa where it is being sold at a very cheap price.
He says the failure by the government to control the borders has caused a lot of misery to the local farmers who spend huge sums of money to grow tomatoes despite the hard weather conditions.
Meanwhile, a check by Diamond News at Soweto Market in Lusaka found that tomato prices have dropped to as low as K20 per box.
By Prudence Chota