‘We have bio-solution to tomato diseases’

The disclosure was made recently to Daily Trust in an exclusive interview with Mr. Nnamdi Ukoko, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bicco Agro Product West Africa Ltd. in Kano.Mr. Ukoko said that his company in collaboration with its foreign based world class seeds producer; Bakker Brothers of Holland and agricultural bio-solutions […]

The disclosure was made recently to Daily Trust in an exclusive interview with Mr. Nnamdi Ukoko, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bicco Agro Product West Africa Ltd. in Kano.
Mr. Ukoko said that his company in collaboration with its foreign based world class seeds producer; Bakker Brothers of Holland and agricultural bio-solutions provider; Agrilife of India, have in stock enough quantities of disease resistant, high yielding and early maturing varieties of tomato seeds that have been tried and certified by researchers in Nigeria.
“Agrilife has developed bio-solutions and drought solutions that fortify crops to withstand pests and diseases, excessive heat, high humidity and short rainfall periods,” he added.
“I wonder why people are lamenting and calling the disease ravaging tomato farms ‘ebola’ when the solution is with us here in Nigeria. We have been telling concerned authorities and the farmers as well to use improved seeds and bio-products but they won’t listen. This is the time to change our ways of doing things so as to get better result.
“Tomato farmers using these products in some parts of the world are getting about 80 tonnes per hectare while our famers here are just getting between 2 – 3 tonnes per hectare. We need to improve to keep pace with current trends,” the CEO noted.
Among the disease resistant, high yielding and early maturing varieties Ukoko listed are Castlebar, Rio Grande, Hybrid F1 Baltyra, Barreiro and Barnum, while the bio-solutions are AgriBoom, Si Sol B and Bionim among others. 
In a telephone interview with Dr. Devanur, CEO, Agrilife, he told Daily Trust that for now, the only solution to the disease is for farmers to use high quality bio-treatments, which are capable of tackling various pests and diseases in the farm.
Also in a telephone interview, Ed Swier, General Manager, Bakker Brothers said no tuta absoluta resistant tomato variety is currently available in the market, adding that seed companies are working on it.