Tomato farmers in Kano State may soon overcome the uncertainties surrounding their business as Dansa Foods, a branch of Dangote Group, commences operation.
This was disclosed yesterday when the team of the Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZ) from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja, were conducted round the new factory undergoing test-running in Kadawa area of the state.
Dangote Tomato Processing Factory, described as the largest tomato processing plant in Africa, is said to have 1,200 metric tons installed capacity when fully operational.
Ashwin Patil, a food engineer, told the visiting SCPZ team, during the facility tour, that the commencement of operations of the plant will create price stability for tomato farmers when they harvest and they will do more than one cropping season henceforth.
“When the farmers’ tomatoes come, we are going to give standard prices. With the help of this plant, their tomato prices will not suddenly come down. We will show them standard practices so that their produce will increase. We will motivate them to get three crops per year,” he said.
On indirect benefits, Patil stated that there will be increased job creation for those involved in the production chain.
The consultant leading the team, Dr Niyi Odunlami, recalled that before now, there was no incentive to grow tomato in Kano State. “But now, there is guaranteed market,” he said, pointing out that people were growing tomato off-season as a pastime, but now they will do more of dry season cultivation. “If you can grow tomato in dry season, go ahead,” Odunlami encouraged, assuring that the Dangote plant “will use 1,200 metric tons,” and will create room for demands.
“Nigeria, which imports tomato paste may soon stop importation,” Odunlami predicted.
He stressed that under SCPZ, the Dansa plant is a priority in terms of infrastructural support from the ministry. He recalled that the five-kilometre road that was earlier provided by the ministry to link the farmers with the factory as part of the incentives under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has opened up opportunities for many tomato growers within a short period.
Continual dependence on trading in raw tomato fruits has been described as unreliable in terms of uptake at the markets. Traders who buy from Kano to sell in Southern Nigeria complain of risks on the road and attendant losses in transit, which they described as discouraging and impacting negatively on profitability as well as price fluctuations.
Sunday Ogbu from Awka, who was met loading consignment destined for the Anambra State capital, said that he sometimes spends as much as N75,000 to hire a J5 bus to transport his tomato from Kadawa to it’s destination. He lamented the uncertainties associated with the long distance travel with raw tomato, which he described as ‘perishable.’
This was disclosed yesterday when the team of the Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZ) from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja, were conducted round the new factory undergoing test-running in Kadawa area of the state.
Dangote Tomato Processing Factory, described as the largest tomato processing plant in Africa, is said to have 1,200 metric tons installed capacity when fully operational.
Ashwin Patil, a food engineer, told the visiting SCPZ team, during the facility tour, that the commencement of operations of the plant will create price stability for tomato farmers when they harvest and they will do more than one cropping season henceforth.
“When the farmers’ tomatoes come, we are going to give standard prices. With the help of this plant, their tomato prices will not suddenly come down. We will show them standard practices so that their produce will increase. We will motivate them to get three crops per year,” he said.
On indirect benefits, Patil stated that there will be increased job creation for those involved in the production chain.
The consultant leading the team, Dr Niyi Odunlami, recalled that before now, there was no incentive to grow tomato in Kano State. “But now, there is guaranteed market,” he said, pointing out that people were growing tomato off-season as a pastime, but now they will do more of dry season cultivation. “If you can grow tomato in dry season, go ahead,” Odunlami encouraged, assuring that the Dangote plant “will use 1,200 metric tons,” and will create room for demands.
“Nigeria, which imports tomato paste may soon stop importation,” Odunlami predicted.
He stressed that under SCPZ, the Dansa plant is a priority in terms of infrastructural support from the ministry. He recalled that the five-kilometre road that was earlier provided by the ministry to link the farmers with the factory as part of the incentives under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has opened up opportunities for many tomato growers within a short period.
Continual dependence on trading in raw tomato fruits has been described as unreliable in terms of uptake at the markets. Traders who buy from Kano to sell in Southern Nigeria complain of risks on the road and attendant losses in transit, which they described as discouraging and impacting negatively on profitability as well as price fluctuations.
Sunday Ogbu from Awka, who was met loading consignment destined for the Anambra State capital, said that he sometimes spends as much as N75,000 to hire a J5 bus to transport his tomato from Kadawa to it’s destination. He lamented the uncertainties associated with the long distance travel with raw tomato, which he described as ‘perishable.’
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