Waec 2021 English Question 7

Rarely can one find any African dish without tomato. It is an important ingredient in the preparation of rice, beans and many varieties of stews and soups. Although there are many types of tomatoes, the ones preferred by most people are thick, fleshy and virtually seedless. A few years ago, many homes could not buy this essential commodity because it was unaffordable. It became so scarce that, even when available, it was sold at an exorbitant price. Many had to resort to using the canned tomato paste. However, it was not tomato alone that was unaffordable, other food items were also out of reach of the common person. A number of reasons were identified as the cause of this disturbing situation. Experts identified tuta absoluta as the disease that affected many tomato farms. This caused massive destruction to the crop and resulted in scarcity. Surprisingly, tomato was not the only crop that was plagued by disease; maize was also attacked by a disease caused by a ravaging army of moth-like flies that eat up the leaves and suck up the tender corn while still in the cob. They are called army worms. This disease also affected other grains like sorghum, millet and wheat resulting in wide-spread scarcity. Farmers usually rely on wholesalers to buy off their farm produce. The wholesalers rely largely on private transporters who charge exorbitantly to render their services. The high cost of evacuating the farm produce continues to make it scarce and expensive. Transporters blame the exorbitant charges on high cost of fuel and vehicular maintenance due to bad roads. This cost is eventually transferred to the produce and borne by the consumers, many of whom are unable to afford it. Farmers do not have access to storage facilities, so they are unable to preserve their harvest while awaiting the arrival of buyers. Unfortunately, a lot of the farm produce is eventually trashed as it spoils on the farms. This is particularly disheartening, considering that not enough is produced for the consumption of the populace in the first place. Ultimately the farmer calculates the total cost of planting for the year on whatever is left to be sold. The problems are, however, not insurmountable especially because they have been identified. Governments have an important role to play which they cannot abdicate to the citizenry. For far too long, farming has depended on manual labour. In order to increase as well as guarantee greater harvest, governments must encourage and support mechanized farming. Waste would be reduced to the barest minimum if storage facilities were available; therefore, the provision of storage facilities is pertinent. Governments should also educate farmers on modern farming practices including the use of necessary insecticides at the appropriate time. Certainly, these steps will bring some succour to the lingering food crisis on the continent.