Tomato farmers lose N1.5bn to disease, NABG blames climate change

Not fewer than 500 tomato farmers have lost 300-hectare farm valued at N1.5 billion to tomato Ebola known as ‘Tuta Absoluta‘ ravaging farms in some parts of the country.

The affected states are mainly Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Gombe.

President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Emmanuel Ijewere, made this known at a press conference in Abuja organised by Horti Nigeria and supported by The Netherlands.

Ijewere described the Tuta Absoluta as an insect which builds its home under the tomato leaves.

He also stated that climate change had also enhanced the movement of pests around the field.

The Director, Horticulture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Deola Lordbanjoce, said with the tomato disease, the country’s deficit would rise from 1.3 million metric tons to three million metric tons.

He said the ministry was working with the National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria every time and investigating happenings in other states, adding, “we have our records already and we are working on two things; the ministry is convening a stakeholders’ meeting, which may be merged with what NABG is planning.’’

Executive Director, Nigerian Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Dr Mohammad Atanda, said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should incorporate NIHORT’s sustainable Tuta Integrated Management Package for tomato production in the national tomato policy.

Atanda, who was represented by the Head, Biopesticide Centre, NIHORT, Oladigbolu Abiola, said the aim was to stem the tide of this occurrence, while farmers should strive to adopt the planting of NIHORT’s recently released tomato seeds bred for high yield, tolerance to fusarium, good shelf life and nutrition qualities.