Mr Afolabi Kayode, President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Osun, has advised the government to provide standard storage facilities to store tomatoes during the period of harvest.Kayode gave the advice in an interview in Osogbo on Tuesday, he said, this will check future scarcity of the commodity.
He appealed to government to provide financial assistance to farmers to enable them cultivate large farmlands to boost tomato production.
“Provision of irrigation by the government to the farmers is very crucial during the period of drought because bad weather, caused by lack of rainfall, is what is affecting agriculture production generally.
“Though tomato farming thrives more in the north, it is largely due to the favourable climate for the crop and availability of irrigation.
“If the government can provide irrigation as an alternative for rain water, tomato production would be improved upon in the south-west and scarcity of the produce would be eliminated,’’ he said.
Scarcity of tomatoes was caused by the attack of pest called tuta absoluta, also known as tomatoes Ebola, on tomato farms in the northern part of the country.
NAN
