Tomato ‘Ebola’ responsible for high cost of tomatoes — FG

The Minister Of Agriculture and Food Security has blamed the rising cost of tomato products across Nigeria on an infestation of tomato farms known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner.

He disclosed this on Monday through his official social media account.

Kyari was reacting to the astronomical rise in the prices of tomatoes in Nigeria.

Kyari said the infestation in tomato farms has reduced product availability and price hikes.

“Many 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.

“Our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.

“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.

“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”, he wrote.