Tomatoes, one of its main
ingredients and a staple of Nigerian cuisine, are going for $2 each at local
markets, with wholesale baskets costing as much as N42,000 or $212, Kaduna
State Agriculture Commissioner, Manzo Daniel, told AFP.
Making Jollof Rice, a
beloved traditional dish in Nigeria, has suddenly become very expensive.
The culprit is a moth
called Tuta absoluta, which has destroyed crops in the northern Kaduna State,
forcing the local government councils to declare a state of emergency.
“It is a serious problem.
The disease has affected production and consumption, prices are continuing to
rise and there is no availability,” Shehu Sani, Senator for Kaduna Central,
told CNN.
The area, which contributes
strongly to Nigeria’s overall production, has already seen losses of millions
of dollars, according to Sani.
“Many depend on tomato
farming for their livelihood and tomatoes are an indispensable part of the
diet. People cannot do without them,” he said.
The tomato crisis comes on
the heels of a recent fuel shortage and a general rise in commodity prices due
to inflation and a lack of foreign currency.
toma is very important d government have to do something
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