Infestation, Hot Weather Fueling Tomatoes Price Hike – Farmers
The Tomatoes Growers Association of Nigeria has blamed the current hike in prices of the produce on ‘Tuta Absoluta,’ Sharon insects, infestation on local farms across the country.
The Kaduna state chairman of the association, Mr. Rabiu Zuntu, noted that the hike in the price of tomato was due to shortage of supply caused by the destruction of many farms by the Tuta Absoluta insect.
He said tomato farms across Kaduna and Katsina which is the highest producers of tomato have been razed by these insects.
Zuntu urged the government to help forestall the infestation by providing timely interventions to the farmers.
Read Also:
Enugu Government Approves Construction of a 380-Room Five-Star Hotel
The pests usually attack tomato farms around April/May and during the hot season. This is when the tomatoes are ready for harvest. High temperature attracts these insects.
To address this infestation, we have received some interventions from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security but the intervention came late because most farmers have already lost their crops.
If the interventions and chemicals came earlier, we would have been able to prevent the current situation, he said.
He said if some tomato-producing states in North and Central Nigeria had received the pesticides earlier, there would not have been a price hike.
Another cause of this hike is the unusually hot temperature we are experiencing this season.
We try everything we can next year to avoid the occurrence of this infestation.
A 50 kg basket of tomatoes currently sells up North from N80,000, while a crate of 25 kg sells from N40,000 to N50,000 depending on the size, he said.