Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum), is said to
be the second most important vegetable
in the world after potatoes. Asides from
being tasty, tomatoes have a high density
of nutrients that promote healthy skin,
weight loss and good cardiovascular
health. Tomatoes have been proven to help
protect against cancer and reduce blood
glucose in people with diabetes. Perhaps,
these benefits of tomato consumption
are responsible for its regular presence in
our everyday meals, and its cultivation in
several countries around the world.
With an estimated annual output of
2.4 million tonnes, Nigeria ranks as the
highest tomato producer in Sub-Saharan
Africa and the 14th highest in the world.
Unfortunately, while Nigeria is noted to
produce enough fresh tomatoes for its
daily consumption, it is the world’s largest
importer of tomato paste, importing an
average of 150,000 metric tonnes of
concentrate per annum, valued at about
$170m. Why does Nigeria import so much
concentrate? Where does the bulk of the
tomatoes we produce go then? Are we
maximising the opportunity of being a
major supplier of tomatoes? - 50% of tomatoes produced locally.
Consequently, domestic production less
wastages is estimated at 1.3 million
metric tonnes which is deemed grossly
inadequate to meet the estimated
annual domestic demand of 2.3 million
metric tonnes. As a result, the country
has historically resorted to large-scale
importation of tomato paste in a bid to
meet the demand shortfall.
Tomato Farming:
Where we are? The tomato farming industry in Nigeria
is beleaguered with many a challenge –
ranging from poor farming techniques to
storage and transportation inefficiencies
and lack of processing capabilities.
Farming techniques utilised by farmers in
the country are predominantly outdated
and inefficient. There is a proliferation of
small-hold farmers employing primarily
subsistence-based farming techniques,
where larger farms exist, they do not
have enough scale for maximising the
benefits of mechanisation and adopting
of modern farming practices including use
of disease-resistance seeds, appropriate
use of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation
techniques. Farmers are unable to obtain
access to technical support in form of soil
and water analysis, seed selection and
other scientific analysis that can boost
crop yield. Farmers are plagued by the
high cost of mechanized systems and
irrigation infrastructures, resulting in low
productivity and poor crop yield per unit
measure of cultivated land.
Tomatoes accounted for about 60% of
the global vegetable production in 2016
with 177 million tonnes produced. Due to
its short shelf life, tomato processing is a
necessary activity, with about a quarter of
global production processed into pastes,
juices and powder; making tomatoes the
world’s leading processed vegetable.
In Nigeria, tomatoes are mainly grown
in the northern states of Kano, Taraba,
Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, Katsina, Sokoto,
Jigawa and Zamfara primarily because of
the region’s favourable warm weather
condition and conducive soil for the
vegetable. These states produce about
80% of the country’s tomato. Nigeria
produces about 2% of the world’s tomato
production and cultivates the largest fresh
tomatoes in Africa. The over 200,000
farmers however generate the lowest
yield for tomatoes on the continent owing
to poor production practices, including
low soil fertility, inadequate pest control
and high post-harvest losses.
In addition to the poor harvest yield, a
2015 Sahel research noted that Nigeria
suffers from poor preservation practises
and inefficient supply chain management
which results in the loss of between 45%
Tomato Farming in Nigeria
Challenges and
Constraints in the Tomato
Farming and Processing
Post-harvest activities continue to be
less efficient. The use of baskets, which
are cheap to acquire, for storage and
transportation of tomato produce is very
common amongst farmers and has been
identified as the primary cause of post-
harvest spoilage. Farmers generally keep
harvested tomatoes in baskets which
exposes them to heat and reduces shelf
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