Some tomato farmers in Kumo, Gombe have advocated for pest control measures to accelerate cultivation of tomato and perishable produce in the state.
Alhaji Yaya Siddau, a tomato grower in Wuro-YayanGari village, said that cultivation was becoming more difficult due to pest infestation of tomato plants.
Siddau lamented that pests were more prevalent during rainy season and exposed them to losses, describing the trend as discouraging.
“I have been a tomatoes farmer for over 32-years. I have not experienced this kind of pest destruction in the past six years, we have battled with tomato disease.
“We call for the Federal and State Governments’ intervention to boost cultivation and halt farmers jettisoning tomato cultivation for other crops because of pest invasion,’’ he said.
Another farmer, Mai-Anguwa Mohammed, said that many people in the area engaged in tomato and perishable produce cultivation in view of its lucrative nature.
Mohammed added that most farmers lost their investments to the pests due to the lack modern technologies to control it.
