Northern farmers blame pest as tomato price soars

The Tomatoes Growers Association of Nigeria has blamed the current hike in prices on the destruction of tomatoes in northern farms by ‘Tuta absoluta’.

Rabiu Zuntu, Kaduna state chairman of the association, disclosed this in an interview with the NAN on Thursday in Lagos.

Tuta absoluta, also known as tomato leaf miner, is a species of moth in the Gelechiidae pest family.

It is a major pest that attacks tomatoes in Europe, Africa, Western Asia and South and Central America, with larvae causing up to 100 percent loss if not effectively controlled.

Zuntu said a 50 kilogram (kg) basket of tomatoes currently sells from N80,000, while a crate of 25kg sells from N40,000 to N50,000 depending on the size in the north.

According to the state chairman, a 25kg basket of tomatoes was sold at N14,000 per crate and a 50kg sold at N28,000 to N30,000 per basket two weeks ago.

Zuntu said the destruction caused a shortage of supply.

“This has made the demand for tomatoes higher than supply hence the price hike,” he said.

“We presently have low yields on our farms. A lot of tomato farms have been destroyed by these insects due to the hot weather in the north.

“Tomato farms across Kaduna and Katsina (the highest producers of tomato) have been razed by these insects.”

Zuntu also said the pests usually attack tomato farms around April/May and during the hot season. 

“This is when the tomatoes are ready for harvest. High temperatures attract these insects,” he said.

“To address this infestation, we have received some interventions from the federal ministry of agriculture and food security but the intervention came late because most farmers have already lost their crops.

“If the interventions and chemicals came earlier, we would have been able to prevent the current situation.”

He said if some tomato-producing states in the north and central Nigeria had received the pesticides earlier, there would not have been a price hike.

“Another cause of this hike is the unusual hot temperature we are experiencing this season,” Zuntu said.

“We will try everything we can next year to avoid the occurrence of this infestation.”

Zuntu also called on the government to help forestall the infestation by providing timely interventions to the farmers.