The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tomato

  • Tomato Ebola

    Tomato Ebola

    •All hands must be on deck to check the spread before it is too late

    It is a reflection of the devastating potency of the pest responsible for the large-scale destruction of tomato farms in six states that the destroyer has been named “Tomato Ebola”. Likening the pest’s destructive power to the dreaded and deadly Ebola virus helped to define its colossal capacity for damage.

    Painting a picture of the dangerous pest also known as Tuta absoluta, a report described it as “a grey-brown moth that is 7mm long, which can wipe out a farm within days”.  The report said: “Once it attacks a farm, there is no remedy. The pest attacks fruits in the open farm and in greenhouses. It is lethal; and a female pest can produce up to 260 eggs in 21 days.”

    This pest has ravaged tomato farms in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Lagos states, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, who admitted to reporters in Abuja that the pest’s reproductive capability and the lack of expertise for its containment were strong factors  responsible for its spread and the scale of devastation.

    The example of Kaduna State, which is regarded as the country’s tomato capital, presents a revealing scope of the tomato crisis. The governor of the state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, reportedly declared a “tomato state of emergency”, and was quoted as saying 80 percent of Kaduna’s tomato production has been affected by the problem. Indeed, the problem is so serious that businessman Aliko Dangote, rated as  Nigeria’s and Africa’s richest man, reportedly suspended production at his  tomato processing plant in Kano State because of a lack of tomatoes.

    It is however a welcome development that the Federal Government has initiated a counter-attack to crush the pest. Ogbeh was quoted as saying: “The pest can also attack even pepper and Irish potato. So we are confronting something quite serious. But the good thing is that we are tackling it right now as experts will commence work immediately. We are bringing the commissioners and governors of states to jointly attack this pest, which, if not dealt with, will create serious problems for food security in our country.”  The information that the pest also poses a danger to other important crops is an added reason it should be contained without delay.

    Finding a solution is urgent, and it is a positive move that the Kaduna State government is exploring foreign avenues. The state’s commissioner for agriculture, Daniel Manzo Maigari, was quoted as saying: “We have sent some of our officials to Kenya to meet our partners. Kenya has a good advantage over us on this issue. We understand that they use a plant extract to take care of this problem. But we do not have that knowledge yet. We expect them to return very soon with short- and mid-term solutions.”

    It is noteworthy that, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria is the 13th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second after Egypt in Africa. In addition, Nigeria reportedly has a domestic demand for tomatoes put at 2.3 million tons, while it produces only 1.8 million tons annually.

    Evidently, given this background, “Tomato Ebola” represents a disturbing threat to food security in the country, with undesirable socio-economic implications. It is a cause for concern that the tomato destroyer has negatively affected tomato supply in the country, resulting in a marked shortage that has phenomenally increased the cost of tomato, reportedly by about 400 percent.

    Considering that tomatoes are a major ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, it is unsurprising that there is a public outcry over the scarcity as well as the soaring cost of the vegetable crop.

    Corrective action is needed now.

  • UI dons proffer solution to Tomato disease

    Agricultural experts at the University of Ibadan yesterday proffered solutions to the outbreak of Tomato disease, Tuta Absoluta, saying importing tomato seeds was not the best option.

    One of them, Dr. Morufat Balogun, who is a geneticist, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that importing seeds to cushion the problem would further drain the nation’s foreign exchange.

    She said the Federal Government should direct plant breeders/entomologists to develop new tomato varieties that could adapt to the Nigerian environment.

    “Tomato is a short duration crop that breeds fast; when an insect smells something in the plant that puts it away, it can’t feed on it.

    “If the gene from such hormones is put in tomato, the pest will not feed on it. That will be a lasting solution.

    “A cushioning solution will be when farmers grow their tomato in an insect screen environment, the insects can’t attack it.

    “Tomato can be produced anytime of the year. So, government should build screen houses for farmers,” Balogun said.

    Another expert, Dr Biodun Claudius-Cole, a Plant Pathologist at the university, said management of the disease should be done using combination of biosecticide method, resistant crops, among others.

    “Farmers need to practice good agricultural methods; they must have good land preparation as that manages soil burn, which is one of the problems of tomato.

    “They should also be encouraged with inputs and facilities that will help them produce tomato all year round.”

    She said the government should ensure that crops like tomatoes coming to Nigeria were quarantined before allowed into the country.

    Claudius-Cole said the government should also put necessary measures to control the disease in affected states to stop it from spreading to other places.

    An entomologist from the same University, Dr. Olajumoke Alabi, said farmers should use insecticide in a systemic way, if they should use it at all.

    “We can use bio-control agents like nematode, augmentation to suppress the pest population, we can also use cultural control, whereby farmers uproot and destroy infected crops.”

  • Curtailing the tomato scourge

    SIR; Making a pot of stew has become a very expensive venture for many Nigerians due to the escalating prices of tomatoes, a critical and ubiquitous part of Nigerian cuisine.  A ravaging insect pest, Tuta absoluta, has destroyed an estimated 40 per cent of anticipated harvest, causing prices to shoot up by 105 per cent, from N17,000 to N35,000 per basket. As a result, many fresh tomato sellers have resorted to purchasing the produce from neighbouring countries, especially the Republic of Benin and Cameroun, in order to keep up with supply.

    In the face of dwindling oil revenue, diversification of the local economy cannot be by lip service. The most populated country in Africa has several agricultural commodities which could be developed into huge export earners through concrete and deliberate concerted efforts. These include but not limited to cassava, cocoa, tomato, cotton, maize, oil palm, soya bean, onion, rice, sorghum, livestock and fisheries. Some of the challenges facing the agricultural sector have been youth apathy for farming, infrastructure problems like poor road networks for distribution of farm produce, lack of storage facilities and power supply, lack of capital, land policy, absence of data and political will.

    There is an urgent need for the local, state and federal governments to collaborate and develop a comprehensive database of rural and urban farmers nationwide and provide effective disease control measures. Otherwise, government would pursue objectives of agricultural policies in isolation and achieve very minimal results. The Central Bank of Nigeria should drive the process of ensuring that farmers get access to small scale loans at single-digit interest rates. The Commissioner of Agriculture in Kaduna State, Daniel Manzo Maigar said, 200 farmers together lost at least N1billion over the past month. This can be investigated and the farmers compensated. To further avert production losses of tomatoes, the total dependence on tomato supplies from Northern Nigeria should be looked into as tomatoes can grow on most soil types in Nigeria.  Furthermore, since the universities of agriculture in Nigeria have the tripodal mandate of teaching, research and extension, the government needs to liase with renowned researchers in the country.

    Nigeria imports tonnes of processed tomato worth over N10 billion yearly in addition to the massive tonnes produced in Northern Nigeria.  Nigeria’s huge population and the consistent demand for agricultural products offers wonderful opportunities to investors. A question we need to ask ourselves is what are we doing that such whooping amount of money has to go to other countries economy? We have got to the point where we need young, savvy entrepreneurs to break into this sector and start producing, processing and delivering quality, hygienic tomatoes at very affordable prices.

    Today, agriculture contributes 42.62 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment for about 70 per cent of the country’s 167 million people. The Alliance For Green Revolution in Africa forecasts that production in Nigeria’s agriculture sector could grow up significantly by 2030, increasing from the $99 billion of 2010 to $256 billion by 2030. That will not only ensure food security, it will also foster peace and security of lives and property as several idle minds can be taken off the streets. Agriculture remains the future of Nigeria. It is high time we converted our backyards into lovely vegetable farms. The new mantra should now be, Operation Feed Our Households!

     

    • Dr. Bukola Adenubi

    University of Pretoria, South Africa.

  • Alternatives to fried tomato stew

    Alternatives to fried tomato stew

    We do not usually talk recipe on this page but the ugly situation in the tomato industry is bringing us to do so.

    Fresh tomatoes have become scarce and even more expensive than a litre of fuel like some people would say. Not just in Lagos but in all parts of the country.

    It is so bad that most traders who trade on fresh tomatoes and pepper have moved to other businesses as their suppliers cannot even get the produce in the first place.

    A visit to the popular Mile 12 market located in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area [LCDA] revealed that tomato scarcity situation has gotten to unbelievable heights.

    Four litre paint container of tomato retails between N2,000.00 and N3,000.00 depending on your bargaining power and how fresh the commodity is. About one month ago, the same quantity sold for N400.

    Small basket of fresh tomato, cost between N10,000.00 and N12,000.00 while the big basket sell for N35,000.00 to N38,000.00. Previously, the big basket sold for N10,000.00-N15,000.00 while the small basket was retailed for N3,000.00 to N4,000.00.

    A basket of fresh chilli pepper cost about N15,000.00 as against N5,000.00 while the not so fresh and in smaller baskets retail for between N7,000.00 and N10,000.00

    The scarcity of fresh tomato and pepper has been blamed on a disease which botanical name is ‘Tuta Absoluta’ which is currently ravaging tomato farms in the Northern part of the country. A specie of moth attacks the leaves of these tomato plants. The larva produced by these pests feed voraciously on tomato plants, causing a yield loss of 100 per cent.

    It would be recalled that the Federal Government had last Tuesday said that the pest had invaded six states in Nigeria. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbeh said that the report that tomato processing factories had mopped up tomato fruits in Nigeria was unfounded and untrue.

    According to him, the highly reproductive nature of the tomato paste coupled with the favourable environment and lack of management knowledge for containment resulted in its spread like a wild fire without any challenge.

    This development had led to the destruction of tomato fruits in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Lagos States.

    Ogbeh, however, stated that the Federal Government had started consulting with States and experts in other to fashion out measures to tackle the pest.

    Proffering measures that could be used to check pests as well as manage pesticides in Nigeria, CropLife International, a group of agro-professionals, advocated the use of hazard based approach rather than a risk based methodology.

    The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir, El-Rufai said recently that 80 per cent of the tomato produced in the State had been ravaged by pest and disease.

    Unfortunately Nigerians depend so much on tomato meals. As fresh tomato has been so scarce and expensive, the demand for the triple paste has gone up forcing the price to equally shoot up.

    In the absence of tomato, is there nothing else we can use to complement our rice dishes and some other foods.

    I stayed many years in England specifically the Metropolitan London. It afforded me the opportunity to relate with people of different nationals and I found out, that even among Africans that Nigerians are the ones that depend so much on fried tomato stew.

    I have some Kenyan and Ugandan friends who never knew what tomato stew is until I invited them to my house for dinner. They eat a lot of rice meals ofcourse but with other sauces or stews like carrot stew etcetera.

    Asians eat rice meals also, but with sauces like, ‘Curry’, ‘Stir Fry’, etcetera. Rice is not popular among the English but when they do, it is accompanied with sauces like ‘Sweet and Sour’ sauce etcetera.

    After three minutes of cooking, add your fish. Cook to make sure the fish is done, tasting for salt and gently stirring to avoid sticking to the base of pot. Lastly add the chopped pumpkin and scent leaves.

    Serve with white rice, yam or sweet potato.   Enjoy your dishes.  Do not hesitate to get in touch if need be.

    We shall continue next week with ‘Chilli Con Carne’, ‘Spicy Chicken Curry’, ‘Vegetable Stir-Fry’, ‘Coconut Chicken Curry’, ‘Carrot Stew’ etcetera.

  • Grappling with tomato shortage

    Grappling with tomato shortage

    Tomatoes, a vegetable consumed in most households, is scarce and very costly. Many have attributed the shortage to the Mile 12, Ketu, Lagos crisis. Some blame diseases, the high cost of transportation and insecurity in the North. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Why are tomatoes, a must vegetable for households, scarce and very expensive?

    This is the question all are seeking answers to. Across the country, there has been an outcry over the high cost of the crop. The cost has forced restaurants, grocers, households and other consumers to cut down the quantities they buy. Four pieces of tomatoes cost as much as N200; that is N50 per one. Since the end of March, when tomatoes became scarce, comsumers have been bearing the brunt as traders pass the hike in prices to them.

    About 75 per cent of vegetables, such as tomatoes, consumed in the country, come from the Northeast and Northwest parts of the country. In recent weeks, vegetable shipments from the North  have dropped, while prices have soared by as much as 100 per cent.

    Some weeks back in Lagos, a basket of tomatoes sold for between N4,000 and N6,000. But now, it costs between N20,000 and N25,000.

    Factors for the shortage, many traders said, include the fuel crisis; insurgency; the recent Mile 12, Lagos crisis and viral attacks on the crop.

    Reacting to the situation, the Programme Co-ordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Elder  Victor Olowe, who co-ordinates a massive number of farmers across the Southwest, told The Nation that the  fuel scarcity made it expensive for farmers to move tomatoes from the North to the South.

    The scarcity not only made transporters to spend many hours on long queues at petrol stations, it also added to the delay in the movement of the produce. According to him, many farmers, who bring tomatoes to the South, now sell their produce in neighbouring states’ markets. This has caused a hike in prices in the southern part of the country.

    Olowe added that the recent Mile 12 crisis might have worsened the scarcity. According to him, producers who bring the produce to the South no longer come because of fear.

    Olowe said the situation has had a huge impact on the Southwest because farmers in the region did not envisage it.

    To buttress his point, he  said farmers in the Southwest were  just starting to prepare the ground for the planting season. Consequently, according to him, the prices of tomatoes will still be on the high side.

    “This is because farmers are still a couple of weeks from harvesting, since they just started planting. It’s likely that the high prices will hold for a while,” he said, adding: “If the weather holds out, supplies from the southwest will improve.”

    However, he said supplies were expected to remain tight until mid-July or August, when some farmers would have  harvested their crops. While buyers still expect supplies from the North to improve, President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama, observed that insurgency has affected hundreds of small-scale tomato farmers in the North.

    “In most cases, their livelihoods have been threatened while markets have become inaccessible. As a result, tomatoes are rottening in the fields, because the roads to many markets are not safe,” he said.

    Also speaking on the issue, a Senior Intervention Manager, Tomatoes, Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4 Nigeria), Mr Richard Ogundele, described the shortage as a regular occurence. To him, it normally happens between the months of April and September. He said production of tomatoes usually drops during the period as a result of low rainfall in the North.

    This year’s shortage, according to him, is remarkable because farmers had to share the little quantity produced with processing companies before sending the remaining ones to the South.

    The Nation learnt that some plantations in the North have been very difficult to access, especially remote communities of the Northeast, where insecurity has been a serious issue. In some parts of Southern Kaduna, where inhabitants are predominantly farmers, security challenges seem to be threatening farming activities. Cultivation of other crops such as guinea corn, rice, wheat, groundnut, sugar cane, yam, cassava, soya beans, okra, beans and vegetables for local consumption and commercial purposes have been affected.

    Acknowledging the efforts by Dangote Group and others in tomato processing to mop up local harvests, Iyama said the quantity being processed was still too low to cause the  shortage. For instance, Dangote Tomato Processing Factory in Kadawa, Kano State has the capacity to process 120 tonnes of tomatoes daily at full capacity. This is still small compared to the number of wastes farmers record in the Northeast which has no large processing plants.

    According to Iyama, food security has been undermined in the North, with production of crops falling by varying degrees due to the impact of insurgency on fertilisers; and the disruption of market routes. Before the insurgency, the area recorded higher yields due to improvements in land and crop management practices that helped capture major markets even in the neighbouring countries.

    The North’s farming sector received a sizeable investment in modern farming techniques and infrastructure. The authorities were even beginning to invest in irrigation in many projects, as was the case with some large private investors. Today, much of this infrastructure is either damaged or lying waste and idle.

    One of those affected, the Vegefresh Company Limited, was closed down in Bauchi as a result of insurgency.

    For agro entrepreneurs, the longer the crisis endures, the more costly it will be for the agricultural sector to recover. Although there are signs that the sector has, at least, adapted, in some areas, the lack of fertiliser and cheap fuel has had a detrimental impact that it will require years for the country’s agriculture to recover.

    According to experts and agricultural economists, up to 70 per cent of livelihoods in the North  are connected to agriculture in one way or the other. Reduced areas of cultivation have lowered the living standards of rural farming communities that once depended on agriculture.

    Speaking with The Nation, Crop protection specialist Prof Daniel Gwary, who works extensively with farmers in the Northeastern part of the country, said insecurity has posed a big challenge to local farmers in the area, adding that since it began, many people do not want to go to the farms. Reports said local farmers in the area now go to farm in groups because of fear of being attacked.

    They claimed that they were scared and would spend lesser time on their farms for fear of attacks, urging security operatives to stop the wave of insecurity to protect the crucial sector.

    Gwary noted that insecurity has caused a lot of problems, especially in the Northeast and that tomato farmers are affected. Early in the year, some farm wells dried up in Katsina, giving concern to tomato irrigation farmers. Tomato farmers had to rely on wells dug on their farms to water their farmlands.

    Sadly also, tomato production has been severely hit by the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, a disease which left farms devastated across the producing states. For instance, farms at the Kadawa Irrigation Valley, which is the major producing area and demonstration farms to feed the Dangote’s Dansa Tomato Company in Kano State, were damaged by the disease.

    Reports from other states showed that the disease was responsible for the huge economic loss to farmers.

    Katsina was also affected by the disease with many tomato farmers devastated by the destruction of their farms.

    Farmers are worried about Tuta absoluta, a grey-brown moth that is 7mm long, which can wipe out a farm within days. Once it attacks a farm, there is no remedy. The pest attacks fruits in the open farm and in greenhouses. It is lethal; and a female pest can produce up to 260 eggs in 21 days. Experts say Tuta absoluta is a very dangerous pest.

    All these factors are responsible  for high cost of tomatoes in Lagos and other southern markets.

    To watchers, tomato shortage is dire. But stakeholders and local farmers wouldn’t want the government to rely on imports. Since tomato is a vital crop, they want the government to support tomatoes farms to increase production rate. They want the government to provide facilities and create appropriate conditions for the re-planting of crops and to tackle water shortages nationwide.

    Observers believe that, despite some cases of corruption, the Federal Government’s transformation  agenda should have a significant impact in stimulating agriculture. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria is the 13th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second after Egypt in Africa. Nigeria has a domestic demand for tomatoes put at 2.3 million tons, while it produces only 1.8 million tons annually. However, due to the dysfunctional agricultural value chain system, about 50 per cent of the tomato produced is wasted.

    The situation has resulted in tomato waste of over 750,000 tonnes and an import bill of N16 billion annually.

    According to experts, the panacea to tomato waste is processing.

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development puts the annual local demand for tomato paste at 900,000 tonnes. Sadly, Nigeria is forced to rely on import of tomato puree, mostly from China because of lack of adequate processing plants. Currently, most processing plants in Nigeria are not functional

    To ensure that wastage is curtailed during glut, indigenous companies have risen to the challenge by reviving one of the moribund processing plants and investing in the industry. Notably, the Ikara Food Processing Plant in Kaduna, which had been moribund for over two decades, was resuscitated in 2014 through a public-private partnership between the state and Springfield Agro Ltd.

    Following the trail of Ikara Food Company is Erisco Foods Ltd.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods, Chief Eric Umeofia, said the plant has an installed production capacity of 450,000 metric tonnes per annum at its Lagos factory, making it the biggest in Africa and fourth largest in the world. Also, Dangote Industries has a tomato factory in Kano State.

    The plant has a production capacity of 430,000 metric tonnes of paste per annum. It requires 40 trailers of fresh tomatoes (1, 200mt) daily to run at full capacity. To strengthen the supply chain needed to improve tomato processing, the factory is collaborating with GEMS4 and the Tomato Growers Association in Kano. 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. It enables them to serve each other on a commercial basis.

  • Killing local tomato paste brands

    Killing local tomato paste brands

    Porous borders and ignorance have been  identified as the biggest challenges of growing local tomato paste brands in Nigeria, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    These are trying times for owners of locally-produced tomato paste brands. A recent undercover survey report by the industry has revealed that Nigeria’s porous borders and the poor capacity of consumers to differentiate between quality and substandard tomatoes paste products are the biggest threat to the survival of local brands.

    For local players, Seme and Cotonou in Benin Republic are the conduit through which unapproved imported tomatoes brands flood the Nigerian market, hence, posing a big challenge to local brands.

    “All the 12 warehouses visited eagerly offered to deliver in Nigeria any quantity of any brand chosen within two days if 70 per cent down payment is made. A top distributor in Cotonou, Fedinand Ababio showed us packed consignments he claimed would be delivered to Nigeria that night,” the report stated.

    With Nigeria’s economy dominated by substandard and cheap tomato paste smuggled across the borders, some local brands, such as Vitali, Ric-Giko and Sonia, grapple for survival.

    While unapproved imported brands have penetrated most homes, industry brand handlers are worried that low consumer education remains another challenge to deal with.

    The recent survey revealed that the yardstick used by most consumers to pick their preferred tomato brand is the level of “thickness” and “redness” of the paste.  About 22 housewives and caterers, who were interviewed in three areas of Lagos, said they used these yardsticks to determine their choice.

    However, recent findings revealed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) showed there is need for massive consumer education on tomato paste brands that are healthy to avoid self-poisoning among consumers in the country.

    The Nation learnt that NAFDAC officials recently visited 27 main markets and four major supermarkets around Lagos and picked 330 samples of tomato pastes for laboratory analysis. The results for 314 were later released. Of 314 released, 286 of these tomato pastes originating from China, representing 91.1 percent, were found unsatisfactory in terms of tomato content. Only 28 returned satisfactory, even though both satisfactory and unsatisfactory tomato pastes had the same red colour.

    “The red in most of the tomato pastes imported into Nigeria indicate an addition of colorant, which is prohibited, dangerous to health and shows that Chinese companies are merely adding colour, rather than the raw material called concentrates, into tomato pastes imported into Nigeria. These colouring stick to veins, arteries and vital organs  accumulate to cause cancer, hypertension and other diseases,” the report stated.

    It was also revealed that majority of the imported tomato pastes in the country do not contain lycopene, thereby exposing millions of Nigerians to cancer and other deadly diseases.

    “Lycopene, is a free radical-fighting antioxidants. Free radicals are damaging molecules that float around in the body disrupting cells and promoting disease. Antioxidants, such as lycopene, destroy free radicals so they can’t attach to your cells and wreak havoc on the immune system. The deception is completed by reducing the content of tomato concentrates and filling up the space with starch to boost thickness,” the report stated.

    However, the President/Chief Executive Officer Erisco Foods Ltd, Eric Umeofia, said activities of nefarious tomato paste importers, supported by an ignorant consuming public are almost bringing the local tomatoes industry to its knees.”We have huge stocks of finished products worth billions of naira in our warehouses which we are not selling due to dumping of these dangerous and substandard brands of tomato paste from China that are cheap and filled with starch and colours,” he said.

    Umeofia also revealed that with about “1,000 containers of tomato coming into Lagos port every week. Nigeria is losing $1 billion to tomato paste importers every year.”

  • Tackling tomato waste challenge

    Tackling tomato waste challenge

    Tomato is produced in commercial quantities in the North. But post-harvest losses are becoming a concern for farmers. This is because of poor preservation and its attendant waste, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    For tomato farmers in the North, moving produce to urban markets could be a nightmare — and a race against time. They must navigate bad roads from their farms, which takes hours; at the end, the produce rot.

    On the average, tomato growers lose 40 percent of their produce to rot because of lack of refrigerated trucking, bad roads and inclement weather and corruption.

    In most tomato producing towns in the region, fetid odour of decaying tomatoes welcomes visitors while overripe tomatoes which can’t withstand further transportation hassles are tossed aside, crushed underfoot, or dumped in overflowing garbage sites.

    Heaps of rotten tomatoes are found in Kano and other states which grow the produce. These have translated into lower incomes for farmers.

    With the ex-farm price of tomatoes as low as N200 per basket, loss-making farmers have no choice but to destroy the excess as it would cost them more to ferry it to markets than what they can get in return.

    Indeed, tomato farmers are producing at a loss but cannot stop because it is part of the staple food in the country.

    The Deputy Team Leader, Growth and Employment in States – Wholesale and Retail Sector (GEMS4), Mr Olatunde Oderinde, said lack of processing facilities for tomato in some parts of the North has caused a glut, resulting in some thousands tonnes of the produce wasting.

    The yearly loss, according to him, is as result of poor food supply chain management, price instability – no thanks to seasonal fluctuation in production, the supply and the absence of processors.

    He noted that the glut has made it  unprofitable for farmers to grow  the crop in some northern states, where prices dropped from N5,000 to N300 per big basket.

    He said that in developed economies, compared to Nigeria, the industry is characterised by efficient farming, adequate refrigeration, and top-notch transportation and communication which ensure that tomatoes make it to the market fresh.

    To him, finding a lasting solution to tomato wastage has become a major concern for the project.

    The major mandate of GEMS4, he added, is to create more business choices for farmers by facilitating linkages between small tomato farmers and processing plants to enable them serve each other on a commercial basis.

    It also involves linking the processing plants to markets through micro distribution and retailing initiatives.

    In line with this, GEMS4 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Spring Field Agro Nigeria Limited. The pact encourages the company to accept produce from local farmers for processing to save them from spoilage.

    Also, the deal is to promote food safety practices among the farmers and their produce through the value.

    On the part of Spring Field Agro Nigeria Limited there is a massive arrangement to address the problem.

    The programme revolves around a processing plant at Ikara Area of Kaduna State to receive produce immediately the farmers bring them from the farm.

    The company took over Ikara Tomato Processing Company, from the Kaduna State government in 2014, on a lease arrangement for 10 years. The leasing would be reviewed after every five years.

    For over 21 years, the Ikara Tomatoes Processing Company was shut.

    The plant processes 100 metric tonnes of tomatoes daily. There is also  a commitment to work with surrounding small tomato  farmers through an “out grower” programme.

    The Group Deputy Managing Director, Kewalram Chanrai Group, owners of Springfield Agro Limited, Mr. Victor Eburajolo, maintained that though in the past tomato farmers in Ikara were recording losses as a result of glut, now that the processing company is back, tomatoes produced in the state would no longer waste.

    On the whole, no matter where waste occurs, Eburajolo noted that it represents a lost opportunity to feed people.

    Apart from operating a plant with an installed capacity for processing of 16,950 tonnes of tomato, Eburajolo said the company has 700 hectares of land purposely for tomato farming. So far, the company efforts and the farmers’ engagement have already paid off. The farmers are supplying the company with tomato  produce and this will not only ensure greater income to them s but will also increase their crops’ added value to meet growing agribusiness demand. The company also facilitates access to input, such as seed and advisory services.

    Given the enormous quantities of tomatoes Nigeria consumes, keeping on top of the work requires the company to operate a functional tomato processing plant. This informed the decision to  give out part of its farmland to farmers to cultivate tomatoes for the plant.

    The Managing Director, Springfield Agro Limited, Mr Tarun Das explained that tomato is a perishable item that loses its value the moment it is removed from the farm.

    Also, farmers lose baskets of tomatoes that get rotten daily because they are not sold on time.

    Das attributed this to lack of facilities for preserving tomatoes, adding that the factory will help them to process the produce.

    This would help to reduce wastage and encourage the industry to produce locally.

    To supply the facility, he said the  factory sources tomatoes from its farms and other small farmers.

    Besides, giving out some lands to  growers for planting, he added that the farmers would be given improved seeds to increase yields and income. The factory will then buy the produce at competitive rates.

    The company has 100 staff.  Das said the company produces 100 tonnes  of tomato paste dail – about 2000 metric tonnes monthly.

    Das said there is potential for growth in consumption of processed tomatoes, especially when the crop is out of season.

    Nigeria has an annual demand of 2.3 million metric tonnes of tomatoes.

    Production stands at 1.8 million metric tonnes, 40 per cent of which is lost to waste, leaving a short fall of 1.22 million metric tonnes.

    About half of the local tomato crop rots because of a lack of storage facilities, poor pricing and access to markets, which has prompted many farmers to stop cultivation.

  • Erisco’s N300m tomato puree plant to create jobs

    Erisco Foods Limited, a member of the Erisco Bonpet Group, has concluded plans to employ over 50,000 workers when its multi-million naira tomato paste company begins production in a few months time.

    The company, said to be the largest in Africa and the fourth largest in the world, was inaugurated last Friday. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Erisco Group, Chief Eric Umeofia, said tomato paste production would stop the annual wastages of over 75 per cent of fresh tomatoes across Nigeria.

    “If we continue with the good policies of the present administration, there will be nothing like a tomato glut anywhere in Nigeria in the next two years. “We as off-taker will produce and process to meet our local demands and export to earn foreign exchange, provided government continues to support manufacturing,” he stated.

    He noted that for the company to fast-track its backward integration programme, it has developed a technology that synchronises its existing machines to produce tomato paste and ketchup from fresh tomatoes.

    “Our backward integration programmes planned for Jigawa, Sokoto and Katsina will generate employment and prosperity for 50, 000 Nigerians within three years,” he stated.

    Umeofia said his Lagos company had an installed capacity of 450,000 metric tonnes per annum, making it the biggest in Africa and fourth largest in the world. He, however, urged the government to direct heads of government agencies in the industrial sector to prioritise local manufacturers over their foreign counterparts.

    While urging Federal Government to sustain the formulation of policies that enhance the production capacity of manufacturers, he pleaded with government to stop giving undue advantage to those he called ‘briefcase’ foreign investors. These, he said, are investors who camouflage as industrialists but whose primary interest is to import finished goods as raw materials without paying taxes or the relevant customs duties.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, said government would continue to support the growth of indigenous businesses, especially in this period of economic downturn. Lawal, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Economic Affairs Office, Mr. Williams Alo, said the current economic reality calls for a decisive policy thrust to address issues which must be pragmatic enough to leverage on.

    He said:”The major concern of government in this present circumstance is to continue to make policies and reforms as well as restore confidence to stabilise the economic fundamentals and also provide the necessary infrastructural platforms for industries to thrive on.

    “Government will continue to intervene in policy formulation towards protecting our national interest and in the process providing a conducive atmosphere that will make production in Nigeria profitable, attractive and worth engaging,” he assured.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said 150 million metric tonnes at the cost of N170 million of tomato concentrates is imported into the country annually.

    Represented by a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Aminu Bisala, Enelamah noted that local production of tomato paste would save Nigeria foreign exchange and create employment.

    Nigerian first lady, Hajia Aishat Buhari, who performed the commissioning, called on local manufactures to emulate Umeofia. She said: “Erisco has contributed to the growth of the local farmers in most states in the North where tomato farmers are located. I call on Nigerians to patronize Erisco Foods.”

  • Tomato paste importers seek review of forex policy

    Tomato paste importers seek review of forex policy

    Some importers have called on the Federal Government to review the Central Bank of Nigeria forex policy banning them from accessing foreign exchange from the official window just as indigenous producers are saying that the restriction is a welcome development in restoring agriculture as the main stay of the economy.

    Labour union officials in some of the local tomato processing companies have called on the presidency to prevail on CBN to review the forex policy listing of triple concentrate tomato paste among the 41 items banned from accessing foreign exchange from the official window by the Central Bank of Nigeria as the inability of the firms to import tomato concentrate which is the main raw materials used in their production process had drastically affected them.

    According to the President, National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Lateef Oyelekan, the companies involved should be given the latitude to plan for backward integration as one of the downside of the policy is that it could lead to massive job losses, as an estimated 1000 jobs are likelyto be lost in the tomato process manufacturing sector.

    “The jobs of the workers are at stake unless the ban is reversed, and that the opportunity for backward integration would be lost by the affected companies.”

    According to him, the quantity of the produce being cultivated presently in the country is not enough for local consumption and the quality is not good enough to be processed into paste. However, Mr. Felix Aigoro, an Agricultural Expert with over 20 years experience in tomato farming, pointed out that Nigeria produces high quality tomato and is ranked the 2nd largest producer of tomato in Africa and 13th in the world with a total production estimated at 1million hectares of land producing 1.701 million tonnes per annum with average of 20-30 tons/hectare yet Nigeria remains the largest importer of tomato from China.

    In an interview with The Nation, the Agricultural expert on tomato adviced those clamoring for the review of the CBN forex policy to rather ask Government for greater aid and support towards granting low interest loans, infrastructures, steady energy and creating enough tomato processing plants.

    “It is estimated that between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of the total agricultural produce in the country is lost due to absence of non- provision of processing facilities. This has resulted in cycles of scarcity and plenty of fluctuations in prices”, regretted the tomato farmer.

    Decrying the unfortunate situation, the tomato farmer said that Nigeria imports 65,809 tonnes of processed tomato annually worth over N11.7 billion despite its massive local production adding that the trend may continue if adequate processing and storage mechanism is not developed and put in place.

    “Take for instance, a recent survey has revealed that most of the brands in the market are imported and the presence of local brands is scarcely noticeable’’, he said

    Speaking further, he said that although more than 200,000 Nigerian farmers grow tomato, not one of the more than 50 tomato paste brands for sale is made from their produce resulting in half rotting in the fields before reaching the market.

    “The market is assured for any entrepreneur who comes out with good quality brands because tomato products are in daily use, have high repeat sales tendency and a long cycle therefor establishing more tomato fruit processing plants in the country will go a long way towards utilizing the enormous quantities of fresh tomato that go waste for lack of processing and preservation especially during post harvest periods of plenty.

    Reacting to the statement that local production may not be enough to meet demand and the quality of the locally grown tomato may not be good enough to be processed into paste, Mr. Aigoro who has a 1st and 2nd degree in Agricultural science said that “Nigeria has the capacity to meet local demand and even for exportation and the quality of our tomato especially from the northern part of the country is top quality”.

    “We have seen a lot of improvement in the demand for our products especially our Life vegetable oil since the new CBN forex policy restricting importers of Vegetable oil from accessing foreign exchange through the official way” enthused Chris Chigbo, Executive Director of Chicason Group an indigenous company.

    Speaking, he noted that the restriction of imported finished products will greatly encourage local manufacturers who hitherto were finding it difficult competing in terms of price with most of the importers who were not even paying full duty on their products.

    “We are also happy with the increased tariff on imported lubricants. Before now, the market was filled with all brands of adulterated and substandard lubricants but with the increased tariff we now have some semblance of sanity in the lubricant market” said the Chicason, Director,manufacturers of A-Z oil.

    However he stated the need for a little review of the CBN forex policy on some raw materials which Nigerians are not yet producing enough to meet demand adding that restrictions on those materials will only make the manufacturers to source from parallel market which will  increase the price of the finished products.

    Also speaking on the policy, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Remi Bello, while criticizing the policy, warned that most manufacturers might be forced to shut down and move their operations to neighbouring countries due to their inability to access foreign exchange for raw materials and other critical inputs.

    According to him, the government needs to first address the issue of post-harvest wastage emanating from inadequate storage and the absence of processing facilities and the development of agro-allied industry. “No matter how bounteous the nation’s harvest is, such productivity will count for little if the produce cannot be stored.” he said.

    However the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele noted that as a result of the policy, the bank has been able to conserve some foreign currencies with a lot of progress made on local production of the 41 listed items.

    According to reports, Nigeria imports 65,809 tonnes of processed tomato annually worth over N11.7billion.

    The CBN Governor clarified that “the Apex bank did not ban total importation of the said items but only restricted access of foreign exchange from official markets to the importers of those items that we think we can produce competitively locally so as to improve our local industries due to the challenges we have, due to the fall in crude oil revenue.”

    Appealing for more patience and understanding, from Nigerians and the people affected, he said that the Government and some other stakeholders are convinced that these items can be produced locally adding that forex can only be made available to those importing essential raw materials and goods that cannot be produced within the country.

  • Tomato paste importers seek review of forex policy

    Tomato paste importers seek review of forex policy

    Some importers have called on the Federal Government to review the Central Bank of Nigeria forex policy banning them from accessing foreign exchange from the official window just as indigenous producers are saying that the restriction is a welcome development in restoring agriculture as the main stay of the economy.

    Labour union officials in some of the local tomato processing companies have called on the presidency to prevail on CBN to review the forex policy listing of triple concentrate tomato paste among the 41 items banned from accessing foreign exchange from the official window by the Central Bank of Nigeria as the inability of the firms to import tomato concentrate which is the main raw materials used in their production process had drastically affected them.

    According to the President, National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Lateef Oyelekan, the companies involved should be given the latitude to plan for backward integration as one of the downside of the policy is that it could lead to massive job losses, as an estimated 1000 jobs are likelyto be lost in the tomato process manufacturing sector.

    “The jobs of the workers are at stake unless the ban is reversed, and that the opportunity for backward integration would be lost by the affected companies.”

    According to him, the quantity of the produce being cultivated presently in the country is not enough for local consumption and the quality is not good enough to be processed into paste. However, Mr. Felix Aigoro, an Agricultural Expert with over 20 years experience in tomato farming, pointed out that Nigeria produces high quality tomato and is ranked the 2nd largest producer of tomato in Africa and 13th in the world with a total production estimated at 1million hectares of land producing 1.701 million tonnes per annum with average of 20-30 tons/hectare yet Nigeria remains the largest importer of tomato from China.

    In an interview with The Nation, the Agricultural expert on tomato adviced those clamoring for the review of the CBN forex policy to rather ask Government for greater aid and support towards granting low interest loans, infrastructures, steady energy and creating enough tomato processing plants.

    “It is estimated that between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of the total agricultural produce in the country is lost due to absence of non- provision of processing facilities. This has resulted in cycles of scarcity and plenty of fluctuations in prices”, regretted the tomato farmer.

    Decrying the unfortunate situation, the tomato farmer said that Nigeria imports 65,809 tonnes of processed tomato annually worth over N11.7 billion despite its massive local production adding that the trend may continue if adequate processing and storage mechanism is not developed and put in place.

    “Take for instance, a recent survey has revealed that most of the brands in the market are imported and the presence of local brands is scarcely noticeable’’, he said

    Speaking further, he said that although more than 200,000 Nigerian farmers grow tomato, not one of the more than 50 tomato paste brands for sale is made from their produce resulting in half rotting in the fields before reaching the market.

    “The market is assured for any entrepreneur who comes out with good quality brands because tomato products are in daily use, have high repeat sales tendency and a long cycle therefor establishing more tomato fruit processing plants in the country will go a long way towards utilizing the enormous quantities of fresh tomato that go waste for lack of processing and preservation especially during post harvest periods of plenty.

    Reacting to the statement that local production may not be enough to meet demand and the quality of the locally grown tomato may not be good enough to be processed into paste, Mr. Aigoro who has a 1st and 2nd degree in Agricultural science said that “Nigeria has the capacity to meet local demand and even for exportation and the quality of our tomato especially from the northern part of the country is top quality”.

    “We have seen a lot of improvement in the demand for our products especially our Life vegetable oil since the new CBN forex policy restricting importers of Vegetable oil from accessing foreign exchange through the official way” enthused Chris Chigbo, Executive Director of Chicason Group an indigenous company.

    Speaking, he noted that the restriction of imported finished products will greatly encourage local manufacturers who hitherto were finding it difficult competing in terms of price with most of the importers who were not even paying full duty on their products.

    “We are also happy with the increased tariff on imported lubricants. Before now, the market was filled with all brands of adulterated and substandard lubricants but with the increased tariff we now have some semblance of sanity in the lubricant market” said the Chicason, Director,manufacturers of A-Z oil.

    However he stated the need for a little review of the CBN forex policy on some raw materials which Nigerians are not yet producing enough to meet demand adding that restrictions on those materials will only make the manufacturers to source from parallel market which will  increase the price of the finished products.

    Also speaking on the policy, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Remi Bello, while criticizing the policy, warned that most manufacturers might be forced to shut down and move their operations to neighbouring countries due to their inability to access foreign exchange for raw materials and other critical inputs.

    According to him, the government needs to first address the issue of post-harvest wastage emanating from inadequate storage and the absence of processing facilities and the development of agro-allied industry. “No matter how bounteous the nation’s harvest is, such productivity will count for little if the produce cannot be stored.” he said.

    However the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele noted that as a result of the policy, the bank has been able to conserve some foreign currencies with a lot of progress made on local production of the 41 listed items.

    According to reports, Nigeria imports 65,809 tonnes of processed tomato annually worth over N11.7billion.

    The CBN Governor clarified that “the Apex bank did not ban total importation of the said items but only restricted access of foreign exchange from official markets to the importers of those items that we think we can produce competitively locally so as to improve our local industries due to the challenges we have, due to the fall in crude oil revenue.”

    Appealing for more patience and understanding, from Nigerians and the people affected, he said that the Government and some other stakeholders are convinced that these items can be produced locally adding that forex can only be made available to those importing essential raw materials and goods that cannot be produced within the country.