Rising tomato prices is expected to continue into next year if there are no initiatives in the areas of production, monitoring and implementation of workable policies, with big corporates involved in processing, The Nation learnt.
This is as a result of efforts of the Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4), to facilitate links between farmers and processing companies. GEMS4 is a 17 million pound market development project funded by the World Bank and the U.K’s Department for International Development (DfID).
Linking tomato farmers to processing plants in farmers in the North means more sales, less waste and year-long demand for tomatoes even during oversupply period.
The Intervention Manager GEMS4, Richard Ogundele Ogundele said though the programme has made efforts to improve tomato processing, by linking tomato growers in Kano and Kaduna states, both major producing belts in the North to Dangote Factory and Ikara Food Company, the impact of these activities on total production and supply volume will only be felt in six months time when the processing firms would have stabilised and scale up operations.
He explained that tomatoes are expensive now since irrigation is the main source of water supply, but that it will become cheaper in the wet season when the gardens are rain-fed.
Currently, the planting season is between August and September. He explained that between the ember months and April, the supply of fresh tomato was high and consumers had enough of the produce.
He added, however that from April to September, supply of fresh tomato drastically declines representing the off season of the produce.
These changes, according to him, result in fluctuation of tomato product prices,consumers are experiencing right now in the South. Nigerians are now resorting to paste to fill the gap. According to him, with irrigation farming, tomato can be planted during the dry season.
With the coming of tomato processing companies, Ogundele urges the government to boost its production to satisfy both the factories and individual buyers in the North and South.
Ogundele said linking tomato farmers to processing plants initiative creates increased business choices for farmers by facilitating business linkages between small scale tomato farmers and tomato processing plants.
He explained thatGEMS4 is an initiative designed to link tomato farmers to processing plants; andincrease access to markets for tomato farmers and dealers predominantly in Northern Nigeria.
The focus, according to him is on creating more business choices for farmers by facilitating business linkages between small scale tomato farmers and tomato processing plants to enable them serve each other on a commercial basis.
Currently, the activity of the programme is concentrated in the Northern part of the country where the principal production zones are located.
Meanwhile, the scarcity of the produce continues. At Daleko market where The Nation visited, small pieces of tomatoes were sold for N100 and N200. A seller told our correspondent that a basket goes for N30,000.