In Nigeria, the price of tomatoes
has increased dramatically, to $2 a tomato, in response to a widespread
destruction of tomato crops. A moth called Tuta
absoluta is spreading a disease that has brought production and consumption
to a minimum. This has caused a loss of millions of dollars and the livelihood of
farmers whose living depends on the tomatoes. Nigeria is Africa’s second
largest producer of tomatoes, a staple food item in their cuisine, and is asking
for federal government help to limit spread of the disease and increase the
detrimental effects on Nigeria as a whole.
While $1 billion from the UN
Environment Program is spent annually to import tomato paste, I think they
should invest in the failed production facilities that are already established
in the nation. These production facilities were trying to prevent the current
statistics of 75% of local harvest going to waste due to poor storage and transport
infrastructure. The UN's current solution provides a cheaper means of buying tomato products that are important in Nigerian cuisine. But, it doesn't provide relief for the tomato farmers who rely on the production and consumption of their tomatoes to affort the cost of living, and possibly survival.
Jessy Krempp
Article: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/africa/nigerian-tomato-crisis/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment