Kano warns of wider crop and price damage as Tuta absoluta spreads through tomato areas
Authorities in Kano state are calling for urgent containment measures as Tuta absoluta spreads across major tomato zones and threatens both harvests and market supply.
Lawmakers in Nigeria’s Kano state have raised the alarm over an outbreak of Tuta absoluta, one of the most destructive pests affecting tomato production, according to Punch. The warning was delivered by Ahmed Ibrahim, chairman of the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, while presenting the committee’s findings during plenary.
The committee was tasked with assessing the situation after a motion of urgent public importance was moved by Ali Lawan Kiyawa, who had drawn attention to the spread of the pest in his Bagwai/Shanono constituency. Ibrahim said the committee’s findings showed the infestation had already spread across a broad set of tomato-producing areas, including Bagwai, Shanono, Rogo, Tofa, Bunkure, Kura, Garun Malam, Rano, Kibiya and parts of Tudun Wada and Dawakin Kudu.
According to the report presented in the assembly, Tuta absoluta attacks tomato crops at all stages of growth. It damages leaves, stems, flowers and fruits, and if it is not properly managed it can lead to severe crop losses. In a state where tomato production is an important commercial activity, that means pressure not only on field yields but also on farm income and market availability.
Ibrahim told lawmakers that the consequences go beyond individual growers. He said the outbreak has severe implications for farmers, the state and the country as a whole because it can create tomato shortages and drive prices higher nationwide. That framing turns the issue from a local pest incident into a broader food-market and supply concern, particularly if control measures are delayed in the main producing belt.
The committee therefore urged the state government and relevant stakeholders to act quickly to contain the pest and limit further spread. One of its main recommendations was immediate support for the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, including the provision of insecticides, pheromone traps, sprayers and protective equipment. That points to a response strategy combining direct crop-protection inputs with basic operational support for field intervention.
Other recommendations included deploying extension workers to affected communities, training farmers in integrated pest management, strengthening coordination with local governments and curbing the sale of substandard agrochemicals. The committee also called for relief support for affected farmers and closer collaboration with research institutions and development partners. If those measures are implemented fast enough, Kano hopes to slow the outbreak before losses deepen across the state’s tomato supply chain.