Tomato farmers in Kano State are currently counting losses incurred as a result of pest attacks on plantations in the state. The resurgence of the deadly crop disease – Tuta Absoluta at the early period of dry session has crippled hectares of cultivated farms, leaving growers in irreparable losses running into millions of naira. The state Chairman of the Tomato Out-Growers Association of Nigeria (TOGAN), Mallam Sani Danladi, told The Guardian that over 700 growers were affected by the recent outbreak of Tuta Absoluta in the state. Available records showed that the first outbreak of Tuta Absoluta on tomatoes in Africa happened in Niger Republic and Senegal in 2015. The disease was eventually noticed later in the year in Nigeria, specifically in Daura, Katsina State.

Source: The Guardian April 11, 2023 17:44 UTC