Nigeria is world’s 14th largest producer of tomatoes and the largest producer in sub-Saharan Africa, but more than half of her annual harvest is lost due to lack of storage facilities.
Hence it was not surprising about two months ago when a moth known as Tuta Absoluta destroyed tomato farms across the country caused unimaginable scarcity of fruit which is a major staple food to Nigerian families.
News from Kaduna State, Nigeria’s major producer of the fruit, saw Nigerians voice fears on social media they would not be able to make jollof rice – a beloved national dish made with tomato paste – because of the scarcity.
The Bolaji Okusaga, an economic analyst, said that the scarcity which added to the pains Nigerian are passing through due to the current meltdown in the economy, could have been avoided if the country has stored up the fruit silos for use during out-season period.
In fact it is of urgent national importance that we have a strategic tomato reserve; have a strategic maize reserve and rice reserve; to ensure that staples which are consumed by most Nigerian households can meet at least one whole year’s demand should there be any crisis.”
Further warned that the country risks becoming a net importer of the fruit now or in future if reserves are not built. Nigerian farmers described the outbreak as “Tomato Ebola” after the deadly disease that devastated West Africa in 2014 and the Federal Government said that five states were affected by the tomato disease.
The Tomato prices have shot up by over 700 per cent, adding to existing hardships from a 67 per cent rise in the price of petrol and soaring inflation in Africa’s largest economy.
A wholesale basket containing hundreds of tomatoes now sells for N42, 000, up from N3, 000 before the outbreak of the disease.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh the five states affected by the tomato disease outbreak include Kastina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, and Nasarawa.
The disease has also spread to other tomato producing states in the North and as well as Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states.
The disease, the minister averred, has ravaged hundreds of hectares of tomato farms resulting in dire scarcity of the farm produce and thereby sky rocketing the price of tomatoes in the market.
90% of 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of tomato fields outside the city of Kano was destroyed by the insect, according to the state’s agriculture officials.
The development has forced the recently commissioned $200m tomato processing factory built by Alhaji Aliko Dangote in Kano to shut down said it managing director, Abdulkareem Kaita.
This is only the beginning of a disaster if we don’t take drastic measures because the disease is fast spreading across the north, Kaita warned.
He further warned that if the company does not reopen in the short-run, Nigerians who have been employed in the factory might lose their jobs, saying the problem needed urgent solution.
But the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, recently said that the Federal Government has developed a home-grown solution to the ravaging tomato pest.
He said the discovery was made through the National Chemical Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria in Kaduna State, an agency under the ministry.
While expressing confidence that the pesticide will eradicate the tomato disease, he said: “The pest ravaging tomato farms is of great concern to the nation, and this has led to an agency of the ministry to develop a pesticide agent which is very effective against the new tomato pest.”
This is even as it has been disclosed that the few tomato fruits currently available in the Nigerian market were smuggled into the country from Nigeria’s next-door neighbours in the west (Benin Republic and Togo).
Farmers from Nigeria’s biggest tomato growing state, Kaduna reportedly lost 80 per cent of their crop.
Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has declared an emergency in the region.
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