(Ecofin Agency) - The Tuta absoluta outbreak which is currently hitting Nigeria’s tomato sector seems to be profitable to Cameroon and Benin. Truly, Africa’s largest economy imports from its two neighbors to ease the shortage induced by the disease.

While Nigeria consumes about 2.3 million tons of tomatoes each year, it produces on a normal basis only 1.8 million tons. However, the outbreak which devastated cultures across the country and forced it to import around 70% of tomatoes present in the market. These imports did not impact prices of the commodity which range between N28,000 and N40,000 a basket, against N26,000 before the crisis. Retail price however surged by 400%.

Let’s recall that tomatoes represent 18% of the country’s vegetable production and that this crisis is a thorn in authorities’ foot.

Aaron Akinocho