- Another tomato scarcity might be looming as the tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta has struck again

- The pest has seriously affected tomato harvests in three local governments in Gombe state

- The pest caused a major tomato scarcity in Nigeria in 2016 when it destroyed the tomato harvest

According to the Gombe State Agricultural Development Project (ADP), the tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta, has seriously affected tomato harvests in three local governments in the state.

In 2016, the destructive tomato pest, destroyed tomato farms across Nigeria causing an astronomical increase in the market price of tomato.

The Pest Control Officer, Abba Dreba, in Gombe on Wednesday, May 10 told NAN that the affected local governments were Akko, Kwami and Yamltu-Deba.


He said: “The tomato pest started ravaging tomato farms since last year but the ADP was not aware of this until this year; this is because tomato farmers in the affected local government areas were ignorant of the pest.

“However, when we received the report, we went round the entire local governments of Gombe and discovered that only Akko, Kwami and Yamltu-Deba local government areas were affected.

“The entire tomato farms in the three areas were devastated. This is a very serious problem because the pest is resistant to all the available chemicals and insecticides in the market."

He then called on the state government to initiate proactive measures to ensure that tomato planted in this rainy season would not be affected by the pest.

“If proactive measures are not taken, tomato farmers will divert their attention to other crops because Tuta Absoluta is very devastating,” he said.

Mr Sunday Lah the director of the Gombe ADP Agric Extension Services, advised farmers to wait for the rainy season to be well-established before engaging in crop planting.

According to Lah, this was the only way to ensure that their crops would not be destroyed by the pest too.

To solve the problem, he said that the ADP was trying to procure seeds from reputable institutions for farmers in the state.

“Most at times, a farmer goes to the open market to buy seeds without knowing the source,’’ he said.

I tire for this government

veekid:
Buhari sef

Shey buhari whey dey London... Na him cause this one again? Feat God Na

fineboynl:
this government failed in all ramification. we never had this really bad like this. agriculture was boom in last administration. you never know the value of what you have until you lose them. no more jellof rice and stew

positivelord:
Buhari is a bad omen then

dolphinife:


You mean the government is in charge of farming??

to whom brain is given, sense is expected

fineboynl:
this government failed in all ramification. we never had this really bad like this. agriculture was boom in last administration. you never know the value of what you have until you lose them. no more jellof rice and stew

dolphinife:


Tot you all says the north are parasites??

Ordinary tomatoes, you all have started shitting in pants

dolphinife:

Tot you all says the north are parasites??
Ordinary tomatoes, you all have started shitting in pants