Tomato price hike, scarcity caused by infestation – Minister

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has disclosed that the rise in the price of tomatoes is a result of an infestation known as Tomato Ebola, which reduced its availability.

Kyari stated this in a post on X.com on Monday while responding to a user who asked that something be done as “the cost of tomatoes is out of control; it’s like they are charging us per seed.”

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.”

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 supporting farmers with resources and guidance to recover their crops quickly.

“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, he added.”

The prices of basic food commodities such as rice, beans, maize, plantains, and tomatoes surged by 25.34 per cent to 40.01 percent as of March 2024, report had earlier revealed.