Prices of tomatoes and onions in major markets of Enugu metropolis, have significantly increased, reports have revealed. A market survey conducted on Wednesday, revealed that prices of both commodities have increased when compared to months back. Ibekaku Orji, an onion seller, at New Garki Market, lamented that the significant increase in the price of onions was associated with other factors apart from seasonal changes. Orji listed the factors to include bad roads, increase in transportation fare from the northern part of the country, as well as the insecurity in the country. He said a big bag of onions currently sold at between N272,000 and N280,000 as against N170,000 and N185,000 sold in September. Orji said that a small bag of onions cost between N137,000 and N140,000 while paint bucket cost between N10,000 and N11,000 as against N5,000 and N6,000 sold in previous months. Maxwell Agu, another onion seller at the New market, Aria, said he had suspended trading in the commodity because his customers were seriously lamenting over the price increase. Said he: “With the increase in the price of onions, I decided to stop buying and selling the commodity to my customers for now”. A big basket of tomatoes sells for between N60,000 and N68,000 as against N45,000 and N50,000 sold in August and September depending on the species. The price of a small basket of tomatoes now costs between N40,000 and N45,500 also depending on the species. A paint bucket of tomatoes cost between N7,000 and N8,000 as against N5,000 and N5,500 sold previously. Ekwutosi Iyi, a tomato seller at the new Akwata Market, Garki, Enugu, attributed the increase in the price of tomatoes to insufficient supply of the commodity from the Northern part of the country. Explained Iyi: “The UTC specie that comes from Jos, which is supposed to have reduced in price from October is still scarce and expensive”. He said as at this October, the UTC species were supposed to be available because this is their harvest period while the other specie from Benue should also be even cheaper than Benue products. Mrs. Elizabeth Onu, another tomato trader at the Ogbete Market, said the prices might not reduce if the insufficiency in supply of the commodity continued, even as its season of abundance was gradually getting nearer. Chinasa Ugwunze, a buyer at the Mayor Market, said the price of tomatoes tended to reduce towards ember months but reverse is the case. Ugwunze expressed surprise that the price was still high even though the harvest period had begun.