Nigerians experience a scarcity of tomatoes as pests ravage tomato farms in major producing states in the Country.
The outbreak of this disease called Tuta Absoluta, popularly called Ebola, has led to a rapid increase in the price of tomatoes and other foods across the Nation.
With an annual output of 2.4 million metric tons, Nigeria has been the largest producer of tomatoes in Sub-Saharan Africa and the 13th in the world. Notwithstanding, the industry faces challenges with distribution, storage, and diseases.
The last four months have been a challenging time for tomato farmers in Nigeria.
A Tomato distributor in Mile 12 Market, Lagos, Nigeria, Chris Ugo, said that tomato farmers are facing a hard time as they are losing 70% of their produce to the disease, therefore affecting all the supply chain and end users.
This tragedy will cause a lot of hardship for citizens through food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies.
It is a glaring fact that tomatoes are one of the most consumed vegetables in Nigeria.
A survey carried out by a Sales and marketing officer for North Central, Gyang, revealed that a basket of tomatoes is sold for 6,000 to 7,000 at wholesale price in Dukuiru Market, Jos, and for 25,000 to 30,000 at retail price, tripling the initial price four months ago.
A retail seller said that there is no sign of the tomatoes reducing anytime soon, as the price still hikes as the day passes by.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average price of 1kg of Tomato increased on a year-on-year basis by 19.08% from N393.08 in February 2022 to N468.09 in February 2023. On a month-on-month basis, the average price of this item increased by 0.22% in February 2023.
In its latest Selected Food Prices Watch for March 2023, the statistics body also noted that the average price of 1kg of tomato increased by 13.81% on a year-on-year basis from N409.96 in March 2022 to N466.60 in March 2023.
Agricultural experts disclosed that the best way to tackle this epidemic is to promote post-harvest technology, management, and packaging, which is a major way to promote agricultural growth.
"There is a need to invest in post-management of the crops, especially tomatoes, like studying the physiology of the crops as they mature and adopting indigenous practices. Noting that the right practice is to harvest the crop when it is physiologically mature and subsequently transfer it to a cold room with a specific temperature suitable for the crop," he stressed.
After due research, specialists and experts have predicted that cold storage is the best way to tackle this deadly disease that eats up fruits and vegetables.
It is pertinent to say that government agencies, development organizations, and agriculture should join ColdHubs and other African innovators in providing facilities tackling food waste, improving mass food production, and reducing post-harvest losses in Africa.