* Agric Ministry has taken steps to save situation
By Nudoiba Ojen
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said that the rise in the price of tomatoes is a result of an infestation known as Tomato Ebola, which has reduced its availability.
Kyari made the comment in a post on X.com on Monday while responding to a user.
The X.com user had asked for something to be done as “the cost of tomatoes is out of control; it’s like they are charging us per seed.”
The prices of tomato have gone of hands just as traders complain that it is unavailable in the farm markets.
The minister stated, “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 said that Agric Ministry had taken steps including deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to control and eliminate the infestation and supporting farmers with resources and guidance to recover their crops quickly.
He said, “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.
