Nigeria seeks to boost tomato production

Source：The Nation Release Date：2013-08-12 227

Food & Beverage

Lack of processing and storage facilities is one reason Africa's second largest tomato producer is also the largest importer of processed tomatoes in the region

Nigeria is seeking to develop its tomato industry further, following an assessment by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the country’s agricultural sector.

Some 2.7 million metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes are produced annually in Nigeria, but a huge part of this goes to waste since there are few processing and storage facilities. As a result, ouput is not enough to meet local demand. About 72,000 metric tonnes of processed tomatoes have to be imported annually.

In a report in The Nation, the CBN said that Nigeria has all the makings to be a strong producer of tomatoes, and even a potential exporter. But the industry has to institute changes. It said output of fresh tomatoes could be increased and better valued to limit imports. It recommends that farmers evaluate the variety of tomatoes they plant, and subsidy and other services be given to them so produce could be sold at prices that processors can meet.

Furthermore, to expand this sector would create more jobs, something that Nigeria is also currently addressing since its unemployment is high. According to CBN, the production of one tonne of tomatoes will create three jobs, so if consumption is 2.3 million tonnes annually, additional jobs created will be 6.9 million.