Agroaldea
The plague destroys plants and shoots shortages and social networking explode against the 'Tomatina’ Buñol.
A plague that came to Africa from Spain, Total absolute, It is ravaging plantations over tomatoes 15 countries of the African continent and caused prices to skyrocket this vegetable, crucial in the diet of millions of people.
The plague arrived in 2008 and last year it was near the Ecuador, in Nigeria where it produce more tomatoes. There, the government of the region has had to declare a state of emergency and Aliko Dangote, richest man across the continent, It has been forced to stop production of its gigantic processing plant due to lack of raw material.
According to data from the International Trade Center in Geneva, Africa exported tomatoes worth 800 million dollars in 2015, an amount close to the 10% of the world market, but it is far from self-consumption volume in some of the countries with greater trouble feeding its people: a few 7.000 million annually.
South Africa have not yet detected the effects of moth caterpillars, which feed on the inside of the precious fruit of the plant but also its leaves and buds, to death.
Tuta is particularly harmful because, In addition, It is able to develop resistance to almost any pesticide in just one season, thanks to its rapid reproduction cycle: 12 generations per year, with some 260 moth eggs in each set.
To top, Tuta absoluta not only feeds on tomatoes, but also just with potatoes, peppers and even snuff sheet.
moment, medium farmers continent have launched sprayed with more pesticides and more aggressive, to try to contain an advance that is unstoppable all forms.
The problem is that the products that are offered are usually banned in developed countries because of its serious health consequences: increase the risk of cancer and damage to the nervous system consumers, He warns the director of pest control Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Rangaswamy Muniappan.
This situation provoked outrage in social networks Nigeria against the "Tomatina" of Buñol, of which echoed the Washington Post and the BBC.
The journalist Adam Taylor collected as photos of La Tomatina, where they are used 100 tons of tomatoes, are protagonists of complaints and grievances among Nigerians to consider it a waste, when an emergency in his country live by the shortage of tomatoes.
The Washington Post notes that "in recent days many social media accounts have been hanging Nigeria and commenting photos of La Tomatina, Buñol. Remember that it is a party where a 20.000 people are engaged in a huge battle to the streets tomatazos and which is estimated to spend 100 tons of tomatoes. But notes that while La Tomatina looking for fun, Nigeria has caused the opposite: a wave of messages of outrage considering it a waste of tomatoes ".
The article explains that the African country suffers from a shortage of tomatoes because of a moth that devastates crops and affected the 80% harvest in some areas. This "emergence of tomatoes" has made the pass kilo cost 1,20 dollars 40 $.
The BBC explains that Spain has been dragged in emergency tomatera Nigeria and collects the reaction of the Mayor of Buñol.
Explains how the shortage of tomatoes in Nigeria has led to criticism of La Tomatina for considering this Spanish party a "desperdidicio". But highlights the reaction of the mayor of Buñol pointing the problem with tomatoes in Nigeria is too big to blame a small town and exist although the party is not celebrase. He added that he would be willing to help Nigeria, but it warns that most of the tomatoes used in battle are past.