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Core Tip: According to a recent report by Morocco's The Economist, Moroccan tomato producers are facing challenges this year. On the one hand, high temperatures in the Souss-Massa region have exacerbated pests and diseases, affecting tomato quality and yield. On the other hand, the EU's ban on some pesticides has made pest and disease control more difficult. The cost of pest and disease management has risen by 25%, weakening the competitiveness of Moroccan tomatoes in the European market.

A local woman who grows tomatoes told the media that in early January 2025, the price of one tak (about 1.6 kg) of tomatoes produced in Inle area of Nyaung Shwe Township was between 700 and 1,000 kyats, but by the end of February, the price had fallen to 400 to 500 kyats per tak, causing farmers to lose money. She said that despite the decline in the prices of tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables, the prices of food such as dry goods have risen sharply, leading to an increase in the cost of living. She said, "The price of tomatoes has been sluggish since the floods broke out, and even if it has rebounded, it has not reached 1,000 kyats. Last month, the price rebounded to around 900 kyats, but this month it fell to 400 to 500 kyats, and even the cost could not be recovered. The price of dry goods is also rising. Now the cost of growing vegetables is borrowed, and we cannot recover the cost, and we don’t know how to repay the debt. Spraying pesticides is also bad for health." Despite the sluggish prices of seasonal vegetables, the continued rise in food prices, coupled with fuel shortages and transportation difficulties, has led to The local residents are concerned about the tight supply of goods. At present, the Inle area is in the period of the end of the cold season and the transition to the hot season. Although the water level has dropped, the water quality has deteriorated, resulting in a shortage of drinking water. A man about 30 years old said that children have skin itching problems due to unclean drinking water. Although the Red Cross has carried out personal hygiene and health education activities in some villages and provided some topical and oral medicines, many villages still need more extensive health knowledge popularization. The man said, "Now the water level has dropped, the water quality has deteriorated, and the water has become turbid. Because the water is not clean, many people have diarrhea and skin itching problems, especially children and young people. There are still many refugees in the Inle area. Brick toilets are better. But the toilets on the lake are not clean and are prone to breeding bacteria." Skin diseases in the Inle area mainly occur among children and pregnant women, mainly due to poor personal hygiene conditions and the use of unclean water. A local resident said that this situation is spreading.

The price of cherry tomatoes is weaker than last year. This is because the abundant sunlight has helped them grow well, increasing the amount brought into the market. On the 26th, at Garak Market in Seoul, ‘cherry tomatoes (general)’ were traded at 22,438 won per 5kg box. This is 40.3% lower than the average price in February of the previous year (37,609 won) and 2.3% lower than the average price in February of the previous year (22,976 won). Market officials analyzed that the price was particularly high last year rather than falling this year. Lee Jae-hee, director of the Central Government Complex, said, “Last year, the amount brought into the market decreased sharply due to the lack of sunlight from January to March,” and “Compared to that, except for a brief cold spell in early February, the weather conditions have been good this year, so they are growing well.” In fact, 313 tons of cherry tomatoes were brought into Garak Market from the 20th to the 26th. Compared to the same period last year (271t), it increased by 15.5%. Kim Tae-ok, the Korea Fruit and Vegetable Auctioneer, said, “Last year, the price of cherry tomatoes was good, so many farmers switched from other vegetables such as cucumbers to cherry tomatoes this year,” and “The crop was good, and the cultivation area also increased, so the amount imported increased compared to the average year.” The price of cherry tomatoes is expected to rise slightly in March. This is because fixed demand such as school meals will arise as schools at all levels open. Auctioneer Kim said, “Until the second week of March, the price of cherry tomatoes will remain higher than now due to demand for school meals for the new semester,” and predicted, “However, from late March, the price may fall again as the quantity is poured in.” Director Lee predicted, “If temperatures rise from the last week of February and the quality of cherry tomatoes improves, not only school meals but also household demand may increase.” Reporter Seo Hyo-sang hsseo@nongmin.com