According to Sani Danladi, chairman of the Tomato Out Growers Association of Nigeria, Kano State chapter, Tuta absoluta is among the most disastrous pests generally attacking tomato crops and largely to be blamed for the high prices of tomatoes sold nationwide. Mr. Danladi revealed this in an interview with PREMIUM on Tuesday.
In the last two weeks, households in Nigeria have had to dig much deeper into their pockets to buy tomatoes, one of the most consumed vegetables in the country, due to a sharp rise in prices caused by shortage. The shortage has been on for about a month now, according to dealers, and in recent times, the supply at the markets became scarcer, hence increasing the price.
Consumers have taken to social media, expressing worries, complaining over the surging prices, thus comparing the price rates in the country’s regions.
He told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday morning that Tuta absoluta re-appeared in Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, and Jigawa states in February.
Tuta absoluta is a moth species of the family Gelechiidae and is known to many by the designation tomato leaf miner or, more colloquially, ‘Tomato Ebola’.
The latter is an evidence-known serious pest of tomato crops in Europe and South America.
‘Tomato Ebola’
There is already an outcry over the scarcity of tomatoes in major markets in the country, occasioned by the outbreak of Tuta Absoluta by 2016.
The incident was reportedly responsible for about 80 per cent loss of tomato production in the country thereby leading to an increase in the market price of the essential vegetable in many parts of the country.
Though tomato seems to be the primary host of the pest, it is also reported to attack eggplant and potato.
From its detection in Eastern Spain in 2006, it has invaded other parts of the world. It was first reported outbreaks were in Niger and Senegal before attacking the tomatoes of Nigeria.
It was first detected in Daura, Katsina State, in April 2015; it made its appearance in Kano two months later, and Abeokuta, Ogun State, in September of the same year. It has since spread to all the other tomato-producing states in the country.
The attack of the farms pushed the Kaduna State government to declare a state of emergency in the state’s tomato sector in 2016.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FMARD, said that in 2017, the pest hit six tomato-producing states, which ranged between Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Gombe, Plateau, and FCT.
In 2020, tomato ebola resurged in Kano, razing several farms.
Resurgence
Mr Danladi said, “The high cost of tomatoes at the market is due to the tomato ebola,” while speaking on Tuesday.
“The tomato ebola started in February, but because there are highly large production areas, it didn’t affect almost all the areas, then from April up till this period—that is, when all the tomatoes have finished.”.
“So, it’s only the riverine areas where they have so much plantation there that is why farmers are able to harvest some tomatoes from their farms. However, as it stands now, almost all the tomatoes you see are coming from Pankshin Plateau and Ikara Kaduna State. It is in those areas that you can get it now, and that is why it seems very costly,” he said.
He said a kilo of tomato now sells for above N2000 from them.
“Even at farm, a crate of 25kg cost N45,000 now from the farmer. Yes, that is why you see some farmers selling a bag for N60,000.
“The tomato Ebola is affecting Kano, Katsina Kaduna and Jigawa,” he added.
He also said that the issue of high temperature in terms of global warming is not allowing the tomatoes to thrive.
“You know tomatoes are not friendly with high temperatures. So, it is normally good when it’s cold weather between January, February, and March maximum but when it is above that you cannot grow tomatoes generally in the North.”
Mr Danladi called on the government to assist the farmers to help eradicate the disease while noting that “Tuta has come to stay.”
“Recently the federal government gave us some chemicals which we will be able to use to monitor our farms. We are calling on the federal government to assist our farmers again because this ebola has come to stay. We have started to experience this since 2015 up till now, and every year we experience it. It has come to stay”. “We can only manage it, learn how to adapt with it, how to have a bypass whereby we can be able to control it before it finishes all the farms,” he said.
“As an association, he said, “We are sensitising our farmers to be very vigilant when they see it from their neighbours let them try to mobilise and inform the other people more efficiently the association then we will take it up and inform the relevant agencies to inform us on how to control it that is the only way we are doing to see that we survive.” Market insight.
This reporter has just conducted a minisurvey of the market situation at various spots across the Federal Capital Territory to establish why tomato prices had increased within only a few months. At AMAC market in Lugbe, Abuja, a dealer in tomatoes who simply identified himself as Bonanza said the increase was due to the planting season and the resurfacing of the deadly pest in parts of northern Nigeria.
According to him, a basket of tomatoes, which formerly sold for N30,000 to N45,000 earlier in the year, now sells for N100,000 and N120,000.
“A basket of big tomatoes is now N100,000 – N120,0000 while the small basket is now sold for N40,000 -N50,000. No more N500 tomatoes, it’s from N800 and above now. They complained that something has been eating up and destroying their tomato crop on the farm,” he said.
At Mile 12 International food market, Lagos, a basket of fresh tomato of highest quality sells for N140,000 and N150,000, against the N50,000-N80,000 it sold for in April.
A tomato seller at Ido Ekiti, Muhammadu Sani told PREMIUM TIMES that price increase cuts across the tomatoes and it is only seasonal.
“I have someone supplying me directly from Kano and Jigawa. But let me tell you something, tomatoes don’t do well during the rainy season. So the price will normally go up during the season. I also hear that a kind of pest is destroying tomato farms now and this is also one of the causes of tomato scarcity,” he said.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, however, said the federal government is doing all that is necessary on emergency measures to stem the problem.
Mr. Kyari made the disclosure in a statement he posted on his X handle on Monday.
Of recent, most of our farms producing tomatoes have been attacked by a virulent infestation called Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner, drastically reducing output and causing higher prices.
“Our Ministry is therefore taking urgent action to fight this problem. We’re deploying agricultural experts in the affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation. Just like we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce, we are also offering necessary support to our farmers with resources and technical to restore their farms as soon as possible.”.
“We understand the impact this has on your daily lives and we are working relentlessly to rectify the situation and restore the supply of affordable tomatoes. Thank you for your forbearance and understanding during these trying times,” he said.