The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, on Thursday, distributed tomato seedlings, diseases and pest management packs to farmers affected by Tuta Absoluta (tomato disease) in Gombe, Bauchi and Borno States.
Speaking during the event, held in Gombe, Engr. Abdullahi Abubakar, Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, said the support was for small holder tomato farmers in the country.
Abubakar, represented by Mrs Omotosho Agbani, Deputy Director, Horticulture, said the three states were part of 10 states supported by the Federal Government.
He said over 2,300 tomato farmers who were affected by the disease in the concerned states known for tomato production were the major target.
According to him, the major reason for distributing the inputs is the Federal Government’s desire to combat the menace of invasive pests Tuta Absoluta.
“This has brought untold hardship to small holder farmers and threat to food and nutritional security.
“It is believed that the inputs distributed will enable tomato farmers bounce back.
“Provide the needed fresh tomato fruits and raw materials for local processing, ensure food and nutritional security, substitute import as well as create wealth.
“This is also to create job opportunities, reduce high annual tomato importation and improve standard of living of our tomato farmers and conserve foreign exchange earnings,” he said.
Abubakar said tomato was one of the expensive and most cherished fruit vegetable crops in every day human food menu and competitively consumed by humans, pests and microorganisms.
He said the crop’s importance was visibly seen and appreciated in the volume of men and women involved in its value chain activities during planting season.
“Tomato forms a major food component of every household in Nigeria and constituent of the national food security programme.
“Thus, government cannot sit aloof while the livelihood and investments of smallholder farmers are ravaged by Tuta Absoluta pest.” He said.
According to Abubakar, the disease has resulted to 80 to 100 per cent fresh tomato fruits losses, hampering the food supply chain system in the country.
The State Coordinator of the ministry, Gombe State office, Dr Ibrahim Ali-Bomai, cautioned beneficiaries against selling the inputs, noting that his extension officers would be dispatched to monitor and ensure that farmers achieved the expected results.
Ali-Bomai thanked the Federal Government for always considering Gombe State farmers, while urging farmers to reciprocate the gesture by using all inputs to boost food availability and improve their income.
On his part, Alhaji Abdullahi Ringim, the national president of Tomato Out-growers Association of Nigeria (TOGAN), represented by Alhaji Nasir Umar, the association’s national extension coordinator, thanked the Federal Government for the support.
Ringim said his association would ensure that members who received the inputs made good use of them.
He said over 300 farmers would benefit in Gombe State while Bauchi and Borno States had 250 each.
He, however, appealed to the Federal Government and Gombe State government to put the vegetables and tomato processing factory in Dadin Kowa to full use to ensure that tomato and fruits wastages were minimised.
Ringim said this would create and provide more jobs for the youth.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that items distributed included Tuta Absoluta resistant tomato seeds, sprayers, pesticides and organic insecticides.
