The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria have sent an urgent appeal to the federal government to intervene in order to halt post-harvest losses that have bedeviled the tomato subsector. The Kaduna chapter of NATPAN Rabiu Zuntu said tomato farming will witness growth if government supports with adequate equipment and facilities and transportation and storage infrastructure
Zuntu said, “Most farmers cannot afford loans for this equipment to aid reduction of post-harvest losses because they are smallholder farmers. The government can help tomato farmers reduce post-harvest losses by coming to their aid with interventions.”
He provided the way out , where the support of the government was needed. “One of the ways to reduce post-harvest losses in tomato cultivation is to increase the use of plastic crates in the transportation of the produce from the farm to the market, from the north to other parts of the country. With the use of plastic crates for the transportation of tomatoes from one part of Nigeria to the other, the rate of post-harvest losses will be reduced,” the chairman said.
Mr Zuntu also hinted at the association’s partnerships efforts to help smallholder tomato farmers reduce costs via mechanised farming. “As an association, we are in partnership with some existing and new processing facilities to cut down post-harvest losses and increase the income of our farmers. With these tomato processing machines, even the glut we usually witness between January and February every year will be considerably reduced,” he explained.
