Following reports that a basket of tomatoes was being sold for as much as N150,000 in some parts of Nigeria, the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said that the cause of the current scarcity and high prices is an infestation known as ‘Tomato Ebola’ or ‘Tomato Leaf Miner’.
He said this in a statement released on X while responding to a user who asked that something be done as “the cost of tomatoes is out of control; it’s like they are charging us per seed.”
“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,” Kyari explained.
In response to the crisis, the Federal Government has deployed agricultural experts to the affected regions to control and eradicate the infestation.
“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 stated.
The Minister also noted that the government is providing support to farmers to help them recover their crops swiftly.
“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,” he added.
According to a report by Nairametrics, the price of tomatoes in Nigeria’s markets had skyrocketed in May, with traders in Lagos, Abuja, and other areas selling the produce for between N140,000 and N150,000 per basket.
