Nigerian farmers have lost more than N1.3 billion due to the recent outbreak of Tuta absoluta, the devastating tomato leaf miner pest widely dubbed "Tomato Ebola," in three major tomato-producing states, the federal government has revealed.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a four-day capacity-building workshop for financial institutions. The event was organised by HortiNigeria in partnership with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc.
Kyari said the pest outbreak had severely impacted tomato production in Kano, Katsina and Kaduna, causing a dramatic rise in the price of a 50kg basket of tomatoes from N5,000 to N10,000, and in some cases, up to N30,000.
"The outbreak of tomato Ebola highlights the fragility of Nigeria's horticultural systems. This invasive pest can decimate tomato fields within 48 hours, leading to catastrophic yield losses", he said.
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