Story highlights A moth is destroying tomato plantations in NigeriaThe price of a single tomato has gone up to $2 in some marketsThe disease has been called 'Tomato Ebola' by locals(CNN) Making jollof rice, a beloved traditional dish in Nigeria, has suddenly become very expensive. The area, which contributes strongly to Nigeria's overall production, has already seen losses of millions of dollars, according to Sani. The disease has affected production and consumption, prices are continuing to rise and there is no availability," Shehu Sani, Senator for Kaduna Central, told CNN. "It is a serious problem. Tomatoes, one of its main ingredients and a staple of Nigerian cuisine, are going for $2 each at local markets, with wholesale baskets costing as much as N42,000, or $212, Kaduna state agriculture commissioner Manzo Daniel told AFPThe culprit is a moth called Tuta absoluta, which has destroyed crops in the northern Kaduna state, forcing the local government to declare a state of emergency.

Source: CNN May 25, 2016 10:12 UTC