The Nationwide Tomato Growers, Processors, and Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria is searching for the intervention of the Federal Authorities to cut back post-harvest losses of the produce.
The Chairman of NATPAN, Kaduna state chapter, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, made the decision in an interview with the Information Company of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
Zuntu famous that the federal government’s intervention would assist the sector to chop down on post-harvest losses.
He stated that with the suitable tools and amenities tomato farmers would scale back post-harvest losses of the produce.
This, he stated, would enhance worth addition and improve the expansion of the sector.
“Most farmers can not afford loans for this tools to assist the discount of post-harvest losses as a result of they’re smallholder farmers.
“The federal government will help tomatoes farmers scale back post-harvest losses by coming to their support with interventions.
“One of many methods to cut back post-harvest losses in tomato cultivation is to extend using plastic crates within the transportation of the produce from the farm to the market; from the north to different elements of the nation.
“With using plastic crates for the transportation of tomatoes from one a part of Nigeria to the opposite, the speed of post-harvest losses will likely be diminished,” the chairman stated.
In response to him, the affiliation is in numerous partnerships to assist smallholder tomato farmers cut-down on their losses via mechanisation.
“As an affiliation, we’re in partnership with some current and new processing amenities to chop down post-harvest losses and enhance the revenue of our farmers.
“With these tomatoes processing machines even the glut we normally witness between January and February yearly will likely be significantly diminished.
“The manufacturing of native tomato processors is without doubt one of the cleanest methods of drying tomatoes and including worth in addition to rising the farmers’ revenue and the expansion of the sector.
“Some non-governmental organisations have additionally launched photo voltaic dryers for tomato preservation.
“The farmers have proven curiosity in it, so, we’re going to undertake it, regardless of the excessive value of the dryer, some farmers can not afford it.
“So, as an affiliation, we’re gathering farmers in clusters to have the ability to afford the photo voltaic dryers and scale back post-harvest losses.
“Therefore, there may be an pressing want for presidency intervention within the sector,” Zuntu stated.
(NAN)
