Africa Experiencing Shortage in Production of Tomatoes

Whenever you visit any household, you probably might not leave without being offered something to eat. This is a tradition that was adopted long ago, and not only happens in Africa, but is a global way of life.

There are different types of dishes that you might have a taste pf, and something common is that, tomatoes tend to be an ingredient that is hugely used when preparing different types of meals. Most farmers in Africa have embraced this crop as it gives very high returns at the end of the season.

Despite the high demand of tomatoes by many households in the country, the market seems to have been hit by an acute shortage of the fruit. Both sellers and consumers have been affected. A random check in various towns of the country revealed that tomato supply has significantly reduced by more than half while the demand still remains high.

One tomato is now retailing at between 10 and 20 shillings from the normal price of three tomatoes per 10 shillings on wholesale and four tomatoes per 20 shillings on wholesale. Other parts retail it at 4 tomatoes at Sh. 50.

Africa exported almost $800 million of tomatoes in 2015, or about 10% of the world’s total, according to the Geneva-based International Trade Centre. The continent produced $6.9 billion of the fruit in 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates.

Read: The Impact of Mobile Service on Agriculture

Tomato is a warm season crop, it requires warm and cool climate. The plants cannot withstand frost and high humidity. Also light intensity affects pigmentation, fruit color, fruit set. The plant is highly affected by adverse climatic conditions. It requires different climatic range for seed germination, seedling growth, flower and fruit set, and fruit quality. The heavy rains that the country had been experiences has been disclosed to be one of the reason for the low production of tomato in the market.

Currently, there is another story coming out, it is not only in Kenya where tomato prices are high, but also in Nigeria and South Africa. It has been disclosed that there has been a shortage in the production of the fruit due to the infestation of Tuta absoluta- a tomato pest. Since its arrival from South America via Spain in 2008, Tuta absoluta, also known as the tomato-leaf miner, has spread across at least 15 African countries. The moth that’s about the size of a headphone jack landed in Nigeria, the continent’s biggest economy, in 2015.

Tuta absoluta kills plants and damages fruit as the moths lay eggs, which hatch into caterpillars that burrow into leaves and stems. It can develop pesticide resistance in one season. It’s an alien species, so few natural predators exist outside South America. It does best in warm climates, and Africa offers ideal conditions for it to produce as many as 12 generations annually, with each female laying an average 260 eggs. It also preys on potatoes, eggplants, peppers and tobacco.

For tomato farmers, this can mean losing their entire crop. Shortages and soaring prices ensue, hurting consumers already struggling with inflation after El Nino-induced droughts.