Tomato farmers in Kano state target 10,000 hectares irrigable land with a boost from ABP

SMALLHOLDER TOMATO FARM ERS UNDER the platform of Tomato Growers Association of Nigeria (TOGAN) has projected to cultivate 10,000 hectares of irrigable land for the cultivation of tomato as the 2019 dry season approaches.

Their projection is hinged on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

Also, Sani Danladi-Yadakwari, chairman of TOGAN revealed that member farmers of the ABP would receive the distribution of tomato seedlings in the 44 Local Government Areas in Kano State.

“After planting the seedlings, the farmers will then be given fertilizer and other inputs as no farmer is expected to dispose of the inputs,” Danladi-Yadakwari said.

In ensuring strict adherence of usage of the seedlings and fertilizer distributed and to avert diversion, he said the association would keep track of activities of its farmers in the state thereby urging the farmers to make ample use of the resources.

The tomato value chain is dependent wholly on the smallholder farmers who produce a bulk of the vegetable for products such as tomato paste and other.

Similarly, most agro-allied companies have keyed into the production of the tomato value chain but due to market forces and the domination of imported tomato pastes, it has weakened the performance of these companies thereby leaving them at the mercies of the smallholder farmers who can only produce much less than the required national consumption demand.

The ABP is an agricultural commodities based initiative by the country’s apex bank with an aim in revamping the agriculture sector. So far, according to the CBN, over N190 billion has been disbursed to more than 1.1 million smallholder farmers since inception in November 2015 to achieve some level of downward integration.

However, the country’s agricultural sector and the market itself has over the years being distorted by increased importation of agricultural commodities such as rice, gari, cooking oils, frozen food, among others, but the importation activities has begun to dwindle following the directive from the federal government to close down all land borders where most of the commodities are smuggled from into the country in order to boost production and maintain homegrown consumption.

Meanwhile, as the closure is still enforced, consumers have witnessed an astronomical rise in prices of most agricultural commodities due to lack of policy implementation by the federal government and apathy from the citizens to venture into agriculture.

Consumers, however, are of the hope that the government would relax the closure to allow free flow of goods from neighbouring countries while plans are ongoing to address the challenges facing the Agric sector to ensure self-sufficiency and food security.