The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has attributed the rising cost of tomato products across Nigeria to an infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner.
This disclosure was made on Monday through his official X account.
Kyari’s statement comes in response to the significant increase in tomato prices across the country.
According to a to survey by Okay.ng, the average price of one kilogram of tomatoes surged by 131.58 percent over the past year, from N485.10 in April 2023 to N1,123.41 in April 2024.
“Many of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner,” Kyari stated. “This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs.”
To address the crisis, Kyari assured that the ministry is taking swift action. “We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation,” he said.
“Additionally, we are supporting our farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce.”
The minister acknowledged the burden on Nigerian households due to the price hikes. “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,” Kyari wrote.
The sharp increase in tomato prices is part of a broader trend of rising food costs in Nigeria. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that food inflation hit a record high of 33.69 percent in April 2024, with headline inflation reaching 40.53 percent.
