The rising cost of tomato products across Nigeria has been blamed on an infestation of tomato farms known as Tomato Ebola, or Tomato Leaf Miner. The disclosure was made by Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security recently through his official X account, while reacting to the astronomical rise in the prices of tomatoes in Nigeria. According to some market reports, the average price of one kilogram of tomato rose by 131.58 percent yearly to N1,123.41 in April 2024 from N485.10 in April 2023. However, Kyari noted that the infestation in tomato farms has reduced product availability and contributed to the rising cost of tomatoes across the country.
According to him, “Many 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.” He said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is taking immediate action to combat this issue, as he ensured that it (ministry) is deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation. He added that the ministry is supporting the farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as it instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce. He wrote: “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.”
