The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has announced the outbreak of an infestation known as Tomato Ebola in Nigeria.
The minister made the announcement via a post on X.com in response to a user who asked that something be done as “the cost of tomatoes is out of control; it’s like they are charging us per seed.”
Responding in his tweet, the minister wrote: “A significant number 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.”
According to Kyari, the ministry has outlined plans to combat the infection, which include deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to control and eliminate the infestation and supporting farmers with resources and guidance to recover their crops quickly.
He added that, “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. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.”
