Prices of fresh tomatoes in the country have increased by over 500 percent owing to the recent outbreak of Tuta Absoluta in some farmlands in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Gombe states, BusinessDay findings show.
The situation in tomato growing states has led to 557 percent increase in the price of fresh tomatoes in Lagos markets in four months. The Ministry of Agriculture has estimated the current loss to farmers at N1.3 billion.
A big basket of fresh tomatoes in Mile 12 Market, Lagos sells between N60,000 to N65,000 depending on negotiation as against N9,500 sold in January, according to a BusinessDay market survey.
Sani Danladi, secretary-general of the National Tomato Growers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria, said tomato farmlands in Kano have recorded about 80 percent loss owing to Tuta Absoluta.
Danladi noted that the country has failed to tackle the recurring pest infestation that has led to losses for farmers already contending several issues.
“More than 300 hectares have been destroyed by the outbreak that has affected more than 500 farmers in Kano State, and also affected farmers in Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, and Gombe states,” he said.
According to him, the tomato association is still collecting data from the remaining states to be able to evaluate the loss, adding that it is the main reason why prices of the crop are surging.
“The prices of tomatoes usually go up by this time yearly because tomatoes do not produce well during the rainy season, but this year’s scarcity is more severe and prices are higher because of Tomato Ebola. It is ravaging several farms,” he said.
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Tuta Absoluta has a reputation for swiftly ravaging tomato cultivation in a little above 48 hours – prompting farmers to nickname it Tomato Ebola. It can breed between 10-12 generations in a year with the female capable of laying between 250 to 300 eggs within its lifetime.
Auwal NaAllah Kiru, secretary of Mile 12 Market said if the scarcity persist traders will be forced to start exporting tomatoes from neighbouring West-African countries.
Nigeria is the 13th largest producer of tomatoes in the world and the second after Egypt in Africa, yet the country is still unable to meet local demand because about 50 percent of tomato produce is wasted due to a lack of storage facilities, poor handling practice, and poor transportation network across the country.
Tuta Absoluta, has a reputation for swiftly ravaging tomato cultivation in a little above 48 hours – prompting farmers to nickname it Tomato Ebola. It can breed between 10-12 generations in a year with the female capable of laying between 250 – 300 eggs within its lifetime.
The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) says it has developed some chemical products that can help in tackling the tuta pest.
Abiola Oladigbolu, head of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) Biopesticide Center said that the Tuta Absoluta is an invasive pest that moves from region to region, noting that it is not peculiar to Nigeria. It
According to him, the Tuta pest attacks the tomato plant by eating up the green part and preventing it from photosynthesis, thus leading to the death of the plant.
He noted that farmers are supposed to develop management practices as preventive measures but they have failed to do so which is causing the continuous outbreak, noting once it invades an environment it remains there.
“It will keep recurring yearly if our farmers refuse to do the needful regarding management practices. We have educated them on it and have developed management practices and some products,” he said.
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