Why tomato is scarce, by Agric minister

Joseph Irikefe

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, says the scarcity of tomatoes being experienced in parts of Nigeria is caused by “severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner”.

Many households reportedly resorted to tomato pastes and other alternatives as the price of fresh tomatoes skyrockets.

In a post yesterday on X (formerly Twitter), the minister said the federal government has taken action to combat the issue.

Kyari said, “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.

“Our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.

“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.”

Meanwhile, the minister said that an estimated ₦309bn was injected into the Nigerian economy through harvest in the last year, as a way of ensuring food security.

The minister announced while giving an update on the achievements of the ministry at the ongoing 3rd ministerial sectoral update, as part of activities marking the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu.