Soaring tomato prices in Nigeria are creating a new headache for authorities, who are battling food inflation that's at its highest in decades and has fanned protests and looting.
Mohammad Abubakar, the agriculture minister, in a recent post on X, blamed rising prices on production being hit by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner — caused by a moth-like insect. The government has responded by sending teams into the affected areas to combat the threat and help farmers recover their crops as quickly as possible.
The price of tomatoes — an essential ingredient in many beloved dishes in Africa's most populous nation — has surged due to shortages, according to market traders. Audu Isa, who sells vegetables at one of the biggest markets in Abuja, the capital, said the price for a small basket of tomatoes has jumped to 25,000 naira ($17) from 7,000 naira in April. That price spike is "the worst we've had it in 10 years," he said.
It gets worse. In Jos, a city in Nigeria's central Plateau state, a large basket of the crop can cost as much as 75,000 naira, almost 20 times more expensive than three months ago.
Read more at businessday.ng