The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency after moths destroyed swathes of tomato fields, threatening supplies of the country’s leading staple food.
Nigerian farmers describe the outbreak as ‘tomato Ebola’ after the deadly disease that devastated West Africa in 2014.
The news from Kaduna saw Nigerians voice fears on social media they would not be able to make jollof rice – a beloved national dish made with tomato paste – because of the scarcity.
They have even taken out their frustration on La Tomatina a festival that takes place in Spain in August and involves 20,000 participants from all over the world engaging in an enormous tomato fight.
Tomato prices have shot up as a result of the moth Tuta absoluta, adding to existing hardships from a 67 percent rise in the price of petrol and spiralling inflation in Africa’s largest economy.
“We have declared a state of emergency over the outbreak of a moth that has destroyed over 80 percent of tomato farms in the state,” Kaduna State agriculture commissioner, Manzo Daniel, told AFP.
The tomato shortage caused by the outbreak has caused prices to go up “astronomically”, he added.
A wholesale basket containing hundreds of tomatoes now sells for N42,000, up from N300 to N1,500 naira before the outbreak, he said.
“This is only the beginning of a disaster if we don’t take drastic measures because the disease is fast spreading across the north,” he warned.
More than 200 tomato farmers in the region have already suffered losses of more than one billion naira from the disease, he said.
Experts have been sent to Kenya to develop a strategy to combat the brown moth, which lays eggs on tomato plants and develops into a hungry caterpillar that feeds on the leaves, stems and fruit.
More than 90 percent of 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of tomato fields outside the northern city of Kano have been destroyed by the insect, according to the state’s agriculture officials.
A $200-million tomato processing factory built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has been forced to shut down because of the shortfall in supply, managing director Abdulkareem Kaita said.
Tuta absoluta, which originated in South America and spread to Europe and Africa, quickly develops resistance to pesticides, making it difficult to contain.
