Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, has attributed the scarcity and high prices of tomatoes in the country to a severe infestation affecting the tomato crop.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kyari, referring to the infestation as “Tomato Ebola” or “Tomato Leaf Miner,” stated that the Federal Government has dispatched experts to the affected regions to address the issue.
Reports indicate that in some parts of the country, a basket of tomatoes sells for as high as N150,000.
The Minister explained: “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.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Food Price Watch report for April revealed a significant year-on-year increase in tomato prices, with the price for 1kg of tomatoes rising by 131.58% from April 2023 to April 2024.
Also, the report highlighted a 17.06% increase in tomato prices between March and April 2024.
Moreover, the SBM Intelligence’s Jollof Rice Index showed a surge in the cost of preparing Jollof rice, with the average cost reaching N17,000 in March 2024, up from N13,106 in October 2023.
This increase has impacted households across the nation due to the rising cost of essential ingredients for this staple dish.
