The Federal government has assured Nigerians that Government is taking proactive steps to contain the precarious disease ravaging tomato farms in the country. The invasion of tomatoes in many farms especially in the Northern part of the country had led to the scarcity of the commodity and consequently led to high increase in the price of tomato across the country. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh gave the assurance at a media chat in Abuja. Ogbeh explained that contrary to the misconception that tomato processing factories had mopped up tomato fruits in Nigeria, a disease identified as “Tuta absoluta” locally called “tomato Ebola” had invaded some tomato farms in the country. Recalling that the pest, which is known world over originated from South America as far back as 1912 and had ravaged tomato farms in many countries of the world till date, the minister noted that the Federal Government had taken time to study the nature of infestation of the disease which had ravaged tomato farms in some tomato producing states like Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa and Oyo states as part of the steps being taken to contain the sourge. He disclosed that the Federal Government was already working with technical experts in Tuta Absoluta containment programme to proffer solutions to the precarious problem within the shortest time, saying that, this step would forestall further spread to other crops like pepper and Irish potatoes and enable farmers to resume farming operations with the desired yields. The minister said the first phase of the intervention programme would involve containment packs for 50,000 hectares to be used among the tomato producing states; capacity development on the containment solution and Surveillance/ monitoring in all 774 local government areas of the country. While fielding questions from the media, Chief Ogbeh maintained that this administration would not engage in policy somersault, with an assurance that the Growth Enhancement Scheme, GES, of the ministry would be modified and deepened.
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