A “state of emergency” has been declared in Nigeria’s tomato sector after crops were wiped out by the Tomato Leaf Miner moth, the BBC has reported.
Also known as Tuta Absoluta, the pest has decimated tomato farms in the northern state of Kaduna, according to the BBC, with prices rocketing and one tomato processor suspending operations due to lack of supply.
The BBC's Muhammad Kabir Muhammad reported that the government has declared a state of emergency and sent officials to Kenya to meet experts on the Tomato Leaf Miner.
Nigeria's commissioner of agriculture, Daniel Manzo Maigar, told the BBC that 200 farmers have collectively lost at least one billion naira (£3.5 million) over the past month.
The word tomato has reportedly trended on Twitter as Nigerians discuss rising prices.
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