By ADAM IHUCHA-- Tomato prices in
Tanzania have soared by 375 percent in just three months period, pushing the
commodity beyond reach of majority poor folks.
Whereas tomato traders laugh all the way to the bank, consumers
are struggling to buy as prices had surged to Tsh 60,000 ($35.3), up from Tsh
16,000 ($9.4) per carton in January 2015.
An outbreak of tomato leaf miner in mid-2014 is the factor
behind the mess as growers say the infestation had cut harvests of the
country’s “red gold” by more than 80 per cent.
According to farmers, only a fifth of the harvest was realised
last season, pushing up the price of tomatoes-- the tasty ingredient in
many meals.
Vivian Josh a trader at Arusha central market says demand for tomatoes
has grown at a fast pace due to scarcity from January, and that level of
appetite isn’t expected to subside anytime soon, as growers are grappling with
the pest strike.
“Tanzanian tomato consumers will have to swallow increased costs
this year as prices are expected to rise even more following the outbreak of
the pest” chipped in Tertius Luanda, a farmer from Morogoro region.
Mr Luanda says that the tomato farm gate prices in Morogoro as
of late march stood at Tsh 50,000 ($29.41) per carton, up from Tsh 5,000 ($3)
before the pest struck mid-last year.
“And due to high demand, the costs could rise even higher, if
the tomato pest wouldn’t be controlled anytime soon” he stressed.
Esther Urassa, like many other tomato consumers says that she
was compelled to skip tomato in some meals due to spiraled prices.
Tanzania is suffering from its first-ever outbreak of tomato
leaf miner pest after a lull of 54 years of independence, threatening to
wipe out the country’s crop dubbed ‘red gold’.
As of last week, the government was still tight-lipped over the
control measures, amid tears from the farmers.
For instance, Magole farm, the biggest commercial producer of
tomato based in Morogoro is counting loses as its 35 acres completely destroyed
by the pest.
“We are talking about nearly 1,000 metric tones of tomato worth
Tsh 700 million ($411,764) lost” says Assistant Farm Manager, James Murege.
Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA)’s Policy and Advocacy
Manager, Anthony Chamanga says that should the pest continue devastating
tomatoes, the country stands to loose nearly Tsh 300 billion ($176.5 million)
in export this year alone.
Scientifically known as Tuta absoluta, the
tomato leaf miner is an invasive alien pest originating from South
America.
In Tanzania, its outbreak was first reported at Ngarenanyuki
area on the slopes of Mount Meru mid 2014, from where it spread to other places
in Arusha and nearby regions of Kilimanjaro and Manyara.
“The pest is extremely destructive. It has so far entirely
devastated farms at Ngarenanyuki, leaving us (farmers) counting our losses,”
says Michael Barnaba, a tomato grower.
Mr Barnaba says the impact of the pest at Ngarenanyuki --
one of the Tanzania’s major tomato productive areas -- may cut production of
tomatoes by 80 per cent this season, as growers had abandoned the crop in
favour of others.
“It’s so painful that we lost all our tomatoes last season, yet
the government remains tight lipped,” he laments.
Official record shows Ngarenanyuki, where the crop is grown four
times a year, produces over 26,000 metric tonnes (MT) per season and about
104,000 MT a year.
Meru District Council trade officer Nuru Mollel says the
Ngarenanyuki tomatoes were not only eaten in Mwanza, Arusha, and Dar es Salaam,
but also reached the dining tables in Mombasa, Kenya, as well as in Europe.
Experts say, in the worst cases, the pest infestation could lead
to 100 per cent loss of the crop, as the pest was highlypolyphagous and
could attack a wide range of solanaceaous -- crops sharing a
family with tomato including potatoes, brinjals, and Mnafu.
Dr Brigitte Nyambo from African Insect Science for Food and
Health says that the pest was officially reported in October 2014, but it
must have arrived much earlier.
According to Dr Nyambo, the pest invasion, which was first
reported in the northern Tanzania’s regions, has spread as far as to coast
regions of Tanga and Morogoro, threatening production of tomatoes in those
areas.
There are estimated 45,000 smallholder farmers in Arusha,
Manyara, Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions engaged in the production of fruits and
vegetables including tomatoes.
According to a recent survey by Tanzania Agriculture Sample
Census, the growers are producing 518,312 MT of tomatoes per year, representing
51 per cent of the total fruit and vegetable production.
TAHAs’CEO, Jacqueline Mkindi says her association had financed
the survey whose scientific findings it shared with the government for a joint
pest control plan.
“Basing on information from the tomato growers, the pest, which
does not respond to existing control measures, is new to the areas,” Ms Mkindi
says.
She says concerted efforts to identify an appropriate management
plan are required for curbing the pest, as findings of the survey show the
damage arising from it is considerably high.
“My heart is bleeding, for time is running out fast for the
Tanzania’s tomatoes. The more we delay to act, the more the pest spreads,
devastating the crop at the expense of poor farmers,” Ms Mkindi regrets.
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