NATPAN urges government intervention to reduce tomato post-harvest losses with better facilities, transportation methods, and solar dryers.
The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) has called on the Federal Government to intervene in reducing post-harvest losses in the tomato sector.
The Chairman of NATPAN’s Kaduna State chapter, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, made the appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
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Zuntu highlighted that government intervention is crucial to equipping smallholder farmers with the tools and facilities needed to minimise post-harvest losses.
He explained that many farmers cannot afford loans to acquire the necessary equipment, which hampers their productivity and income.
One key recommendation Zuntu offered was increasing the use of plastic crates for transporting tomatoes from farms to markets across the country.
He noted that the traditional use of baskets often results in significant spoilage during transit.
“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,” Zuntu said.
The association is also exploring partnerships with processing facilities to help smallholder farmers reduce losses through mechanisation and value addition.
Zuntu further disclosed that some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have introduced solar dryers for preserving tomatoes.
Despite the high cost of these dryers, the technology is gaining interest among farmers for its effectiveness in preventing wastage during peak harvest seasons.
“To make the solar dryers accessible, we are clustering farmers to enable them to afford the equipment. This way, post-harvest losses can be significantly reduced,” he stated.
The chairman emphasised that adopting modern preservation techniques, such as local processing and drying, would not only reduce losses but also increase farmers’ income and foster sectoral growth.
“With these tomatoes processing machines, even the glut we usually witness between January and February every year will be considerably reduced.
Local processing is one of the cleanest ways of drying tomatoes, adding value, and increasing farmers’ income,” Zuntu said.
Zuntu reiterated the association’s plea for urgent government support to address these challenges.
He argued that improving post-harvest practices and infrastructure would enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian farmers and strengthen the agricultural sector.
By investing in transportation solutions, mechanisation, and affordable preservation technologies, the government can help tomato farmers achieve higher yields, minimise wastage, and boost economic growth.
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