Food Insecurity: Tomato scarcity caused by farm infestation, Nigerian Government resolving situation ─Minister

*Abubakar Kyari, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, attributes the dire market situation, especially the scarcity of tomatoes and related agricultural produce being experienced by millions of Nigerian consumers to ‘severe infestation, known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner’, assuring of government action to resolve the grim situation across the country

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As scarcity of major food items, other commodities, and attendant high inflation persist in the Nigerian economy, Abubakar Kyari, Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, has attributed the dire situation, especially the scarcity of tomatoes and related agricultural produce being experienced by millions of consumers to “severe infestation, known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner.”

ConsumerConnect reports farm produce traders are lamenting the relative scarcity of the commodity, just as several households, particularly women and wives, are fast resorting to tomato pastes in cans and sachets, and other alternatives as the price of fresh tomatoes skyrockets.

This is despite Minister Kyari’s disclosure Monday, May 27, 2024, via his verified X (Twitter) account.

Earlier, while giving an update on the achievements of his Ministry at the 3rd Ministerial Sectoral Update, as part of activities marking the first anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Abuja, FCT, the Minister had revealed that estimated N309 billion was injected into the Nigerian economy through harvest, in 2023, as a way of ensuring food security in the West African country.

However, while commenting on the grim market experiences lots of women are contending with regarding high prices of food items and other commodities in recent times, a wife, mother, office worker, and Lagos resident, who did not want her name mentioned, evening Monday, May 27, 2024, showed this publication just six pieces of small tomatoes she said bought for N500 in the neighbourhood market.

“The situation is terrible with high prices in the market,” she lamented.

The Minister in the statement, nonetheless, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government has taken action to combat the issue.

“A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs,” he said.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food Security further explained that “our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.

Kyari said: “Additionally, we are supporting our farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce.

“We understand the impact this has on your daily lives and are working tirelessly to resolve the situation and restore the supply of affordable tomatoes. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.”