The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has disclosed that the hike in the price of tomatoes is due to an infestation known as Tomato Ebola, which reduced its availability.
Kyari stated in a post via the microblogging platform X, while responding to a user who asked that something be done, stressing that “the cost of tomatoes is out of control; it’s like they are charging us per seed.”
In response, Kyari said several tomatoes farmed were affected by Tomato Ebola, contributing to the rising cost across the country.
Kyari added that the ministry has outlined plans to combat the issue, which include deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to control and eliminate the infestation and support farmers with resources and guidance to recover their crops quickly.
In his post, the minister wrote, “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.”
“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.”
Recall that the prices of essential food commodities such as rice, beans, maize, plantains, and tomatoes surged by 25.34 per cent to 40.01 percent as of March 2024.
