Metro
Ravaging moth: Kaduna State govt. declares state of emergency on tomatoes
The Kaduna State government has declared a state of emergency in the tomato sector following the ravaging effect of a moth called Tomato Leaf Miner, or Tuta Absoluta which according to reports has ravaged 80% of tomato farms.
According to Manzo Maigar, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Kaduna State, about 200 farmers have lost at least 1bn naira ($5.1m; £3.5m) over the past month due to the festering disease.
The development has now shot up the price of a basket of tomatoes from $1.20 less than three months ago to more than $40 today.
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The move to declare a state of emergency in the tomato sector according to the Commissioner of Agriculture indicates that the state government is taking drastic action to deal with a problem.
Reports say the Kaduna State government has sent agricultural officials to Kenya to meet experts on the Tomato Leaf Miner in order to learn how to deal with the pest which has hit the northern state where most tomato production takes place.
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