The management of Benson Idahosa University in Edo State has announced that it will produce 800,000 tons of tomatoes in order to offset tomato shortage in the country.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbe, tomatoes in six States in Nigeria ”“ Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kadua, Plateau, and Lagos have been infected with a pest that kills the fruit.“The disease that destroyed tomato crops across these six States is tuta absoluta, which has since been dubbed “tomato Ebola,” Ogbe disclosed.The Vice Chancellor of the University, Ernest Izevbigie announced that the institution’s Faculty of Agriculture would grow tomatoes and carefully monitor them for quality.He reiterated, “We are making an audacious statement that Benson Idahosa University is poised to produce 800,000 tons of tomatoes to ameliorate the present shortage in the supply of tomatoes in Nigeria in the next one year.”Dr Izevbigie also mentioned that the boost in tomato production should alleviate hunger and food insecurity.“We are at risk of food insecurity; that is what is happening now. If you have food security, you will have plenty of food available. But food security in this country is being threatened.“The university’s agriculture department also has the technology to cultivate grass, which would ameliorate the effects of cattle grazing.”“Nigeria should become more self-sufficient in terms of forage crops production; this nation has the proper soil and climate for such crops to thrive,” Dr Izevbigie added.