The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) is seeking the intervention of the Federal Government to reduce post-harvest losses of the produce.
The Chairman of NATPAN, Kaduna state chapter, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Zuntu noted that the government’s intervention would help the sector to cut-down on post-harvest losses.
He said that with the appropriate equipment and facilities tomato farmers would reduce post-harvest losses of the produce.
This, he said, would increase value addition and enhance the growth of the sector.
“Most farmers cannot afford loans for these equipment to aid reduction of post-harvest losses because they are smallholder farmers.
“The government can help tomatoes farmers reduce post-harvest losses by coming to their aid with interventions.
“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.
According to him, the association is in various partnerships to help smallholder tomato farmers cut-down on their losses through mechanisation.
“As an association, we are in partnership with some existing and new processing facilities to cut down post-harvest losses and the increase of the income of our farmers.
“With these tomatoes processing machines even the glut we usually witness between January and February every year will be considerably reduced.
“The production of local tomato processor is one of the cleanest way of drying tomatoes and adding value as well as increasing the farmers income and the growth of the sector.
“Some non-governmental organisations have also introduced solar dryers for tomato preservation.
“The farmers have shown interest in it, so, we are going to adopt it, despite the high cost of the dryer, some farmers cannot afford it.
“So, as an association we are gathering farmers in clusters to be able to afford the solar dryers and reduce post-harvest losses.
“Hence, the urgent need for government intervention in the sector,” Zuntu said.
