…Over 200 hectares of farms affected in 4 Kaduna LGs

Over 200 hectares of tomato farmland have been ravaged by the same disease in four local government areas of Kaduna State. The affected local government areas are Soba, Kubau, Kudan and Ikara, Daily Trust has learnt. This has caused major scarcity of the commodity in the state and the consequent rise in prices. A basket […]

Over 200 hectares of tomato farmland have been ravaged by the same disease in four local government areas of Kaduna State.
The affected local government areas are Soba, Kubau, Kudan and Ikara, Daily Trust has learnt.
This has caused major scarcity of the commodity in the state and the consequent rise in prices. A basket of tomato which sold at between N2,000 to N3,000 now sells for between N17,000 to N20,000.
Daily Trust gathered that the farmers noticed the disease early March, 2016 and all efforts made at addressing it failed, leading to huge loss by the farmers.
A farmer, Alhaji Aliyu Zuntu, while recounting his ordeal, said “I transplanted my crops, watered my farm and let nature take its course. Unfortunately, the farm began to degenerate, the leave began to turn red and there were no tomatoes in sight, the leaves looked like hot water was poured on them.
“Normally, it takes two months, that is 60 to 70 days and the tomato is ready for harvest, but my own was only one month old when the disease stroke, so I was not able to harvest anything from the farm and I lost about N1 million, I was only able to harvest threes and a half baskets of tomato in a farmland of over six hectares.”
Meanwhile, Shehu Suleiman, Chairman of Kurmin Kogi Production Cluster in Ikara local government who has been farming tomato for over 20 years said, “I have never witnessed this type of disease in my farm. Like a joke, I watched helplessly as my entire yield perished to the disease.”
He said he lost about N300,000 and called on the government to find a way of compensating them so that they can revive other crops.
On his part, Chairman of the Muruga Tomato Cluster, Alhaji Sule Haruna Kampe who has been into tomato farming for over 20 years, lamented how the North is gradually losing its strong hold in agriculture.
“When we are talking about this issue, it not Kaduna alone, this same disease has ravaged farms in Kano, Plateau and Katsina states and I am scared that it is gradually destroying the north and that is why the governors, especially the northern governors should as a matter of priority get to the root of the problem and solve it once and for all.”
Haliru Idris, Cluster Chairman, Garu Tomato, Kudan LG said even though most farms have been affected by the disease, there are some that can still be salvaged and urged the government to engage capable hands with a view to ascertaining the cause of the disease which will forestall  its reoccurrence.
On his part, Idris Dalhatu,  Chairman of the Takalafia Tomato Production Cluster in Soba Local Government, Kaduna State, said in March, 2016, members of the cluster, numbering 50, noticed that the tomato farms were not doing well.

The Project Coordinator FADAMA 3AF, Mr. Isyaku Dauda Inpa said, “We recorded heavy losses in Kaduna State due to diseases, but we have invited the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) ABU, Zaria. They have gone round the farms and we are waiting for them to determine the cause of the disease.
“In FADAMA 3AF project, we were given 200 hectares of land as farmer’s intervention, we have so far recorded total destruction of over three quarter of the farmlands and about 150 farmers have been affected.”