An outbreak of Tuta Absoluta, the destructive tomato pest known among farmers as tomato ebola and locally as "Sharon," has hit several tomato-producing communities in Kano State, raising fears of supply shortages and rising prices nationwide. The infestation has reportedly spread across major farming areas including Bagwai, Shanono, Rogo, Tofa, Bunkure, Kura, Garun Malam, Rano, and Kibiya, alongside parts of Tudun Wada and Dawakin Kudu.
A Pest That Works in 48 Hours
Tuta Absoluta attacks tomato crops at every stage of growth, damaging leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit, and it moves fast. Farmers have nicknamed it tomato ebola because it can decimate entire fields within 48 hours, and its biology makes containment difficult, since a single female lays between 250 and 300 eggs and the pest can produce 10 to 12 generations in a year. The recurrence is a structural weakness in the country's horticulture, with 12 northern states producing about 85% of Nigeria's tomatoes and several of them repeatedly hit during the hot, dry stretch of the year.
Lawmakers Demand Action
The scale of the latest outbreak pushed the Kano State House of Assembly to intervene. The chairman of its agriculture committee, Ahmed Ibrahim, warned that continued destruction of tomato farms could trigger supply shortages and drive up prices across the country. The committee called for the immediate release of resources to the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, including approved insecticides, pheromone traps, sprayers, and protective equipment, and noted that the outbreak recurs almost every year, which makes long-term control measures necessary.
The Price Already Moving in Northern Markets
The market impact is visible at source. A perishable-items seller quoted by Daily Trust said supply pressures had pushed tomato prices to about ₦70,000 per basket and ₦30,000 per crate, with a basket reaching as high as ₦70,000 at the Yankaba market in Kano, a major production hub. Farmers tied the scarcity to the extreme heat of March to May, which intensified pest infestation and cut yields. Because Lagos and other southern markets draw heavily on northern supply, a production shock of this kind typically arrives in the south as higher prices within weeks.
The recurrence has a documented cost. A previous Tuta Absoluta episode in Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna cost Nigeria more than ₦1.3 billion and pushed a 50kg basket of tomatoes from around ₦5,000 to as much as ₦30,000, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, who described the pest as evidence of the fragility of the country's horticultural systems.
FoodPrices Nigeria monitors tomato and pepper prices across Lagos markets, and a northern supply shock of this kind is exactly the sort of upstream event that determines what Lagos households pay at the stall.
This is a developing agricultural story, and anyone affected by farm losses should consult their state agricultural development authority for current pest-management guidance.