Lai Mohammed; Boko Haram responsible for scarcity of tomatoes – Minister says

Lai Mohammed said farmers have abandoned their farmlands because of attacks from Boko Haram.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in an interview, said the Boko Haram sect is responsible for the scarcity of tomatoes in Nigeria. He said “People talk about the price of tomato but they forget one thing; they forget that the price of tomato today is a direct result of the fact that we have lost two years harvest to Boko Haram insurgency. “Most of the people you see riding Okada (motorcycles) in Lagos are people who would have been in the farm to produce consumable items.” The minister also said “Do you farm where there is war? We have lost two seasons of harvest in addition we have had very poor rainfall last year and this year. These are the combined responsible for the scarcity of tomato. Go and ask economists and agriculturists, they will tell you.” Mohammed said this while fielding questions on a Channels Television program. He said farmers have abandoned their farmlands because of attacks from Boko Haram.