FG Raises Alarm as Food Scarcity looms over Nigerian staple food Pest Infestation

By: Amad Vincent Uzoma

The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said an excessive infestation of the tomato crop is the purpose of the shortage and multiplied expenses of the vital commodity inside the country
In an assertion on Monday via his official X (previously Twitter) account, Kyari noted the infestation causing tomato shortage as “Tomato Ebola” or “Tomato Leaf Miner.”
Recall that it was reported on Sunday that a basket of tomatoes was selling for as high as N150,000 in some parts of the country, according to a market survey conducted by Nairametrics.

Meanwhile, the minister mentioned that the Federal government has dispatched experts to the affected regions to govern and eliminate the infestation.
“A sizable variety of our tomato farms were stricken by an extreme infestation called Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has appreciably decreased the provision of tomatoes and contributed to rising expenses.
“Our ministry is taking instantaneous action to combat this difficulty. we’re deploying agricultural professionals to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.
“Additionally, we are assisting our farmers with the vital assets and guidance to recover their plants as quick as possible, simply as we instituted the Ginger Blight manipulate Taskforce.
“We understand the impact this has in your day by day lives and are working tirelessly to solve the state of affairs and restore the deliver of cheap tomatoes
Earlier on Sunday, Nairametrics reported that the price of tomatoes skyrocketed in May in Nigeria’s markets as traders in Lagos, Abuja, and other places sell the food item for as high as N140,000 and N150,000 per basket.
in line with the document, buyers attributed the spike to normal seasonal fluctuations in the amount of tomatoes produced.

They said the harvest length for the contemporary species of tomatoes being offered is nearly over with the coming of the moist season across the country.
Nairametrics found that as of April 2024, the price of similar food merchandise changed into offered between N50,000 to N100,000, indicating over one hundred growth in less than a month. According to the latest food price Watch file for April from the country-wide Bureau of Records (NBS), there was a giant growth in tomato fees during the last few years.
The statistics show that the fee for 1kg of tomatoes has escalated by fifty percent from April 2023 to April 2024. This marks a huge year-on-12 months upward push in cost. In addition, the record highlights a pointy increase in tomato charges within the short term as well.
As of March and April 2024, the average rate for 1kg of tomatoes rose by means of 17.06%. This growth indicates a continuing upward fashion in the price of this important commodity
Further, a recent analysis through SBM Intelligence called the Jollof Rice Index, has tracked the price of cooking Jollof rice across fundamental towns in Nigeria. The index indicates that the common price of preparing this popular dish has surged.
Mainly, the value to put together a popular serving of Jollof rice reached N17,000 in March 2024, up from N13,106 in October 2023.
This upward thrust represents a massive growth in the cost of elements crucial to this staple dish, impacting families across the state.