TOMATO: Nigerian Governor declares state of emergency on tomatoes

By -


Following the invasion of a tomato pest trending in Nigeria, Governor El-Rufai has declared state of emergency on tomatoes in Kaduna State.
He said about 200 farmers in only three local government areas in the state lost one billion Naira in the last one month.

Speaking at a Press Conference through the Commissioner for Agriculture in Kaduna, he said that some officials of the ministry had already been sent to Kenya to liaise with experts and return with the best way of fixing the situation.

He said: “I want to say that Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared a state-of-emergency on tomatoes in the state. This is as a result of invasion of the crops by a pest named tomato blight, botanically known as Tuta Absoluta.

The governor said that 80% of tomato farms have been ravaged by an exotic pest, called tomato blight (Tuta Absoluta).

In his words:“In the past one month, 12 local government areas of the state that produce tomatoes have lost 80 per cent of its tomatoes harvest. In three local government areas, about 200 farmers have lost one billion naira worth of their tomatoes. So you can imagine the magnitude of the lose."


“It is so severe that even Dangote who established a tomato processing plant in Kano, had to shut down production.

“The problem with the disease which is caused by a moth, is that no amount of spraying will kill the adult. You spray it, after about three hours, it revives back to life. So, we have sent some of our officials to travel to Kenya and meet our partners. Kenya has a good advantage on this issue over us.

“We understand that they use a plant extract to take care of this problem. But we do not have that knowledge yet. We expect them to return very soon with a short and medium term solution,” he explained.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SEX TAPE DOWNLOAD: UNIOSUN lecturer accuses former colleague, others of blackmail

By -
Image
The embattled lecturer at the Department of Languages and Linguistics of the Osun State University, Ikire Campus, Dr. Olabode  Ojoniyi, has accused one of the lecturers of the university, who was recently dismissed for an alleged misconduct, as the person who allegedly contracted the 400 level female student, Mercy Ikwue, to blackmail him. The female student, who secretly recorded sexual activities involving her and Ojoniyi recently released the video, which has been generating reactions. But a correspondent from Punch gathered from some students of the university that Ojoniyi, on Friday, posted an open letter on the platform of the Great Linguistics Whatsapp Group, where he accused the female lecturer and the Provost, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, as the architects of his problem. The embattled lecturer, in the letter entitled, “Open letter to Nigerians and the whole world on the alleged “UNIOSUN lecturer in sex scandal video” also accused ...
Read more

The Nigerian Air Force deploys more fighter jets to combat NDA

By -
Image
The Nigerian Air Force has deployed additional aircraft to Niger Delta region against militancy, economic sabotage and all forms of criminalities. A statement by NAF reads: “The Nigerian Air Force has deployed additional aircraft to the Niger Delta in support of the military operations code named “Operation Pulo Shield” against militancy, economic sabotage and all forms of criminalities in the south-south region of the country. “The deployment was necessitated by the recent spate of attacks on the Nation’s oil and gas installations by the new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). “The additional platforms, comprising fighter aircraft, helicopter gunship and surveillance aircraft, are intended to enhance the capability of the NAF to undertake offensive air operations and intelligence gathering in support of the surfaces forces. “Since the recent deployment the NAF has increased air operations around critical infrastructure in Delta, Bayelsa, Rive...
Read more

PRISON BREAK: 15 inmates escape from Nsukka prison

By -
Image
No fewer than 15 inmates were believed to have escaped from Nsukka Prison in Enugu state in a jail-break that occurred on Tuesday night. A reliable source at the prison who pleaded anonymity said on Wednesday that the inmates broke their cells and scaled over the perimeter fence. “The inmates carefully opened their cells and scaled the perimeter fence of the prisons. “Before prison officials on night duty knew what was happening, about 15 inmates had escaped,” the source said. Controller of the prison, Mr Lawrence Okonkwo, confirmed the jail break but declined to give the number of inmates that escaped. “Yes there was a jail break last night in Nsukka prison but I am not in a position to say how many prisoners escaped. “We are expecting the Enugu state Prisons Controller, Mr Isaiah Amariri, in Nsukka prison so that we brief him on what happened last night. “He will be the one to tell the public the number of inmates that escaped, re-arrested ones and efforts put in pl...
Read more