The Federal Government has declared a national agricultural emergency in response to a severe outbreak of pests that are devastating tomato and sugarcane harvests across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, announced the intervention on Thursday during an event at the Federal Crop Production Technology Transfer Station in Dan Hassan, Kano State.
Minister Abdullahi identified the primary threats as Tuta absoluta, a pest ravaging tomato farms, and the African sugarcane borer, which is attacking sugarcane plantations. He stated that these infestations pose a critical risk to the nation’s food security and the livelihoods of farmers.
“The scale of the infestations requires an urgent and coordinated response,” the minister said, explaining that the emergency plan would focus on sensitising farmers, distributing approved pest-control inputs, and deploying integrated pest management strategies.
He noted that Kano was selected as the launch site for the response due to its strategic importance in irrigated agriculture and tomato production. The minister emphasised that both crops are vital for income generation, employment, and industrial development, but their productivity has been repeatedly undermined by these pests.
He also disclosed that two improved tomato varieties HORTITOM4 and HORTITOM5 were released last year to enhance crop resilience. Furthermore, he announced the upgrade of the ministry’s pest control division into a full-fledged Federal Department of Plant Health and Pest Control Services.
