11 min
Food in Nigeria is increasingly getting expensive, especially in the Southeast, South-South and Southwest geopolitical zones. Conflicts are building up. The need to improve the scope of farming and cultivation of crops, as well as processing and merchandising becomes paramount.
The recent issuance of strike protests by the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers Association in the Northern region of Nigeria can be described as stale news owing to the upheavals and negotiations surrounding farmers and key players in food distribution and entire food supply chain in the region. The notice of this industrial action directed its members to stop hauling food items and livestock to the southern states of the country until the members that incurred losses due to the persistent herder crisis were paid the sum of N475 billion ($1,25 bilion). This therefore, presupposed and as a matter of fact, suggested some real conflict in the channel of distribution of staple food commodities which could either have obvious implications leading to wastage or insecurity of food.
Indeed, it is noteworthy that food supply chains and items in Nigeria are increasingly getting expensive; most especially in the Southern regions (Southeast, South-South and Southwest geopolitical zones). The need to improve the scope of farming and cultivation of crops, as well as merchandising becomes paramount. Research findings and reports on these indicate that there is an increase in the quantity of spoilt and substandard food items in northern Nigeria due to gluts that often occur at their peak production seasons, particularly high-value food crops (mostly food items rich in antioxidants), that experience quick deterioration like horticultural crops such as potatoes and onions. Hence, the need for effective and efficient ag-techs to minimize grave losses due to spoilage.
Onion, potato and tomato growers in Benue State have complained to their state government to engage in the purchase of the surplus food items across the state and North-Central to curb wastage. The farmers reported that the government could do this by establishing processing factories in areas where the crops are being cultivated in large quantities. According to them, this will go a long way to curb wastage and improve the incomes of the average farmer dealers in the state.
More so, another tomato grower, Mr. Tor Numve, corroborated Ahungwa’s view, saying that the food items were usually cultivated in large quantities during peak production season. “This is because tending it during the season is less herculean compared to the dry season period. “As a result of the large cultivation of tomatoes during the rainy season and without storage facilities, there is usually a lot of commodity wastage.”
Benue State is well-known for its optimal climatic conditions for cultivating all sorts of crops, hence its slogan as the “Food Basket of the Nation.” While its farmers have the potential to feed all of Nigeria, they have lacked infrastructure, financing, training, technology, legal systems, and other crucial support systems to fully optimize their agricultural advantage, leading to staggering levels of poverty in communities that rely mainly on agriculture as its source of economic activities.
Sun dried tomato and pepper farm, Hunkuyi, Kaduna State, Fatima Bukar
Knowing their crucial role in food security in Nigeria, the Benue State Government has become receptive to agricultural transformation initiatives. For instance, in July 2019, the Benue State Policy on Agriculture was launched as a culmination of a multi-year effort by the state government to seek lasting solutions to the challenges facing the state’s agriculture.
The plan is specifically to bring farmers groups, the private sector, technical experts and universities together to established clear and measurable goals for transforming the state’s agricultural economy.
Within the plan is to reduce the widespread phenomenon of post-harvest losses by 50 percent and increase farmer income by 80 percent by 2021.
The plan also set targets on high-tech agricultural systems such as testing for soil quality, easing up the land tenure system in the state, mechanization agriculture, solutions for irrigation systems, extension services, among other metrics.
The inclusive approach to revolutionizing agriculture in the state forms a perfect synergy with the Green Leben Initiative (GLI), the integrated agricultural value chain being spearheaded by a group of Nigerians and Africans in the diaspora.
The group is currently taking baby steps as it rolls out its blueprint for the ‘Farm to the Dining Table’ objective.
GLI is a non-profit social business based in Germany called Zukunft Für das Leben (ZfL) and through their partnership with the Abuja-based company-Industrial Herm Agro Solutions Nigeria Limited (IHAS), they plan to undertake an innovative entrepreneurship module for farmers in Nigeria to allow them to operate their farms as real businesses and not a subsistent source of income.
However, for the plan to work, the farmers must operate in an environment free of the threat of attacks by rampaging invaders, mostly herdsmen who have been making incursions into farms and have been kidnapping, destroying farmlands and even killing local farmers.
Security concerns
The situation in Benue State is such that even the Governor of is not spared from living in fear, particularly after his narrow escape from these attackers when he visited his farm recently.
On March 20, 2021, suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked the convoy of Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom in Tyo Mu near Makurdi-the state capital.
The governor barely escaped with his life as he was forced to flee several kilometres on his feet as bullets zipped past his ears from all directions when his security details engaged the attackers who had ambushed his convoy.
“God helped up, no bullet touched me, and no bullet touched the security people with me,” Dr. Ortom told the BBC in an interview shortly after the incident.
That unfortunate experience sums up the extremes to which security situation can quickly escalate in some parts of Nigeria.
Therefore, any agricultural programme that takes security for granted is not only impractical, it will be a huge waste of resources to have all the infrastructure and support services only to be derailed by an act of armed invasion by a group of insurgents.
GLI’s programme takes cognizance of this and is deeply embedded in their programme is a modern security infrastructure using expertise from Germany.
Photo credits: Tomato waste in Benue State, Barnabas Wanger Akaazua
Onions
Meanwhile, the immense economic benefits of cultivating high-value crops in an environment free of security concerns cannot be over-emphasised. According to worldstagegroup.com¸ Onions is described as a commodity with vast potentials that could attract foreign investors thereby creating employment opportunities along with enhancing value-addition to consumption and industrial use.
It is pertinent to note that Onion farmers are poor in the use of risk-reducing initiatives. Also, most environmental constraints affect their ability to optimise their yields.
In September 2018, the Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science published results of a study on how grossly misaligned onion cultivation is in Nigeria.
To put it in perspective, Nigeria is the third largest in terms of land area set aside for cultivating onions. It comes immediately after China and India, the world leaders in onion production.
However, when it comes to yield, China and India produces commensurate tonnage annually at some 18 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes respectively, while Nigeria does just a little above one million tonnes, even though, like China and India, it could produce at least 4 times that figure on the same land size.
The entire country of Germany, for instance, cultivates onions from just about 87,000 hectares of land, but cultivates about a third (some 400,000 metric tonnes) of what Nigeria yields every year. That is about half of Nigeria’s turnover, yet, they use a land the one-twentieth the size of what Nigeria uses to cultivate onions.
The bottom-line for this disparity is the archaic agricultural methods still being used in Nigeria and most African countries.
With a population of some 200 million people, I million tonnes of onions produced in Nigeria is not enough to feed a people who rely heavily on them for their staple dishes. This pressure has driven onion prices through the roofs in recent times, a global and Africa-wide commerce ground to a standstill as a result of the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high costs of farm inputs such as fertilisers, as well as some protectionist trade policies by the Buhari administration. It is pertinent to note that Onion farmers are poor in the use of risk-reducing initiatives. Also, most environmental constraints affect their ability to optimize their yields.
In September 2018, the Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science published results of a study on how grossly misaligned onion cultivation is in Nigeria.
While China and India cultivate some 8 million and 9 million hectares of onion, Nigeria does 2.5 million hectares.
However, when it comes to yield, China and India produce commensurate tonnage annually at some 18 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes respectively, while Nigeria does just a little above one million tonnes, even though, like China and India, it could produce at least 4 times that figure on the same land size.
The entire country of Germany, for instance, cultivates onions from just about 87,000 hectares of land but cultivates about a third (some 400,000 metric tonnes) of what Nigeria yields every year. That is about half of Nigeria’s turnover, yet, they use land the one-twentieth the size of what Nigeria uses to cultivate onions.
The bottom-line for this disparity is the archaic agricultural methods still being used in Nigeria and most African countries.
With a population of some 200 million people, I million tonnes of onions produced in Nigeria is not enough to feed people who rely heavily on them for their staple dishes. This pressure has driven onion prices through the roofs in recent times, a global and Africa-wide commerce ground to a standstill as a result of the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high costs of farm inputs such as fertilizers, as well as some protectionist trade policies by the Buhari administration.
Nairametrics, a Nigeria-based market analyst has concluded that high prices of onions in Nigeria will become the “new normal”.
The growing uncertainty in food security makes the proposed Diaspora-led Green Leben Initiative (GLI) appear to be the most practical approach currently to solving the challenge, one crop at a time.
The GLI has gathered a team of industry experts and they plan to increase yield of onions by as much as 400% per acres in comparison to the average yield in the country currently.
To put the plan in perspective, it is common knowledge that due to the long cold spells in Europe, crop production should naturally be a challenge. That would have been true had the Europeans not had a re-thought and optimized their farming methods drastically with best practices and technology.
So, even though Germany and Holland are not particularly having favourable climatic conditions, they still manage onion yields of up to 35 metric tonnes per acre.
The plan being proposed by GLI in Benue State is a replication of what farmers had already achieved in Germany. The plan is two-pronged: A commercial onion value chain and capacity building for other farmers.
This is designed to ultimately improve food security in Nigeria from the farm to the dining table.
Data shows that despite producing some 1.4 million metric tonnes of onions in 2019, Nigeria still imports about 1.1 million metric tonnes every year, implying that the country requires approximately 2.5 million metric tonnes annually in satisfying the palette of a nation that depends so much on onions and the fact is often taken for granted.
Photo credits: Onion seller, S. Aderogba
In an interview report with Financial Street on March 8th, 2021, I retorted that the difficulties associated with food supply chains especially that of Onions in Nigeria appear as consequential and at the same time polarized touching on the Southern and Northern regions in specific ways.
For the northern region (comprising the North-Central, North-East, and North-West geopolitical zones), it could result to:
1. Farmers and marketers relying on the sale of Onions, as well as other foods and agro commodities putting up with onerous economic burdens which will definitely result in protracted consequences touching on farmers’ households, children’s education, among other factors.
2. Tax from the government will equally drop which is directly proportional to sales which are less.
3. There will be skeletal loss of job opportunities for transporters, among other intermediaries.
On the other hand, for the South-West region, among other southern regions comprising the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones), they would definitely resort to finding alternatives to food items sourced from the North, giving rise to high inflation rates, a major blockade that will not just trigger in the south, but will unlock in damaging consequences in the short-run period. This is because there is barely adequate substitute for food and other agro items from the north.
Imagine this: From its blueprint, if GLI could gain access to 5,000 acres of land in Benue State, the state can produce 100,000 metric tonnes per planting season and 300,000 metric tonnes in three planting cycles a year. That is more than a quarter of what Nigeria imports annually.
With their plan, 2,500 farmers would be directly involved as smallholders and additionally, some 15,000 other jobs in the onion value chain will be created in Oyo State.
That sounds too good to be true, but the fact is that Green Leben is already in Ghana and is in the process of securing the necessary funding to cultivate about 1,000 acres of onion in the Volta and Upper East Region of Ghana. There are already 100 farmers signed on to the Green Leben capacity building in Ghana.
A consignment of the regular red onion common in Nigeria has been imported into Ghana from GLI's partners in Germany to sample the Ghanaian market. Also, there is a consignment of about 20 metric tonnes available to be sent to Oyo State immediately as an introduction to the vegetable market in the state.
The challenges
Nigeria is far from surmounting its perennial problems plaguing the agricultural sector, including corruption which fundamentally blocks progress at many levels.
The lack of integrated Agro-food sector development policies on local, state as well as national levels is another pertinent problem, as well as limited vision-planning concerning demographics & population growth including changes from 200 to 400 million inhabitants.
To tackle all of the above, it is also essential for the consolidation of controlled storage infrastructure, added value creation, combined distribution & logistics, advisory services, know-how development & education.
In conclusion, there is an urgent redirection of agri-food policy in Nigeria, and what better place to start than the nation’s “food basket”?
Indeed, it is noteworthy that food supply chains and items in Nigeria are increasingly getting expensive; most especially in the Southern regions (Southeast, South-South and Southwest geopolitical zones). The need to improve the scope of farming and cultivation of crops, as well as merchandising becomes paramount. Research findings and reports on these indicate that there is an increase in the quantity of spoilt and substandard food items in northern Nigeria due to gluts that often occur at their peak production seasons, particularly high-value food crops (mostly food items rich in antioxidants), that experience quick deterioration like horticultural crops such as potatoes and onions. Hence, the need for effective and efficient ag-techs to minimize grave losses due to spoilage.
Onion, potato and tomato growers in Benue State have complained to their state government to engage in the purchase of the surplus food items across the state and North-Central to curb wastage. The farmers reported that the government could do this by establishing processing factories in areas where the crops are being cultivated in large quantities. According to them, this will go a long way to curb wastage and improve the incomes of the average farmer dealers in the state.
While its farmers have the potential to feed all of Nigeria, they have lacked infrastructure, financing, training, technology, legal systems, and other crucial support systems to fully optimize their agricultural advantage, leading to staggering levels of povertyAs a matter of fact, a tomato farmer, Mrs. Tabitha Ahungwa lamented to a Vanguard Newspaper Correspondent, that lots of the commodities were being wasted due to issues touching on poor infrastructure such as lack of buyers stating that local preservation methods could be very difficult during rainy season. “Even the buyers are not helping us the farmers. They are not encouraging us because they buy the product at a meagre amount. “This is worse during the rainy season. During the rainy season most people venture into the cultivation of the product on a large scale,” she said.
More so, another tomato grower, Mr. Tor Numve, corroborated Ahungwa’s view, saying that the food items were usually cultivated in large quantities during peak production season. “This is because tending it during the season is less herculean compared to the dry season period. “As a result of the large cultivation of tomatoes during the rainy season and without storage facilities, there is usually a lot of commodity wastage.”
Benue State is well-known for its optimal climatic conditions for cultivating all sorts of crops, hence its slogan as the “Food Basket of the Nation.” While its farmers have the potential to feed all of Nigeria, they have lacked infrastructure, financing, training, technology, legal systems, and other crucial support systems to fully optimize their agricultural advantage, leading to staggering levels of poverty in communities that rely mainly on agriculture as its source of economic activities.
Sun dried tomato and pepper farm, Hunkuyi, Kaduna State, Fatima Bukar
Knowing their crucial role in food security in Nigeria, the Benue State Government has become receptive to agricultural transformation initiatives. For instance, in July 2019, the Benue State Policy on Agriculture was launched as a culmination of a multi-year effort by the state government to seek lasting solutions to the challenges facing the state’s agriculture.
The plan is specifically to bring farmers groups, the private sector, technical experts and universities together to established clear and measurable goals for transforming the state’s agricultural economy.
Within the plan is to reduce the widespread phenomenon of post-harvest losses by 50 percent and increase farmer income by 80 percent by 2021.
The plan also set targets on high-tech agricultural systems such as testing for soil quality, easing up the land tenure system in the state, mechanization agriculture, solutions for irrigation systems, extension services, among other metrics.
The inclusive approach to revolutionizing agriculture in the state forms a perfect synergy with the Green Leben Initiative (GLI), the integrated agricultural value chain being spearheaded by a group of Nigerians and Africans in the diaspora.
The group is currently taking baby steps as it rolls out its blueprint for the ‘Farm to the Dining Table’ objective.
GLI is a non-profit social business based in Germany called Zukunft Für das Leben (ZfL) and through their partnership with the Abuja-based company-Industrial Herm Agro Solutions Nigeria Limited (IHAS), they plan to undertake an innovative entrepreneurship module for farmers in Nigeria to allow them to operate their farms as real businesses and not a subsistent source of income.
The situation in Benue State is such that even the Governor of is not spared from living in fear, particularly after his narrow escape from these attackers when he visited his farm recentlyThe GLI programme will provide all the support systems and relevant capacity through training and technology transfer for this objective to be achieved.
However, for the plan to work, the farmers must operate in an environment free of the threat of attacks by rampaging invaders, mostly herdsmen who have been making incursions into farms and have been kidnapping, destroying farmlands and even killing local farmers.
Security concerns
The situation in Benue State is such that even the Governor of is not spared from living in fear, particularly after his narrow escape from these attackers when he visited his farm recently.
On March 20, 2021, suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked the convoy of Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom in Tyo Mu near Makurdi-the state capital.
The governor barely escaped with his life as he was forced to flee several kilometres on his feet as bullets zipped past his ears from all directions when his security details engaged the attackers who had ambushed his convoy.
“God helped up, no bullet touched me, and no bullet touched the security people with me,” Dr. Ortom told the BBC in an interview shortly after the incident.
That unfortunate experience sums up the extremes to which security situation can quickly escalate in some parts of Nigeria.
Therefore, any agricultural programme that takes security for granted is not only impractical, it will be a huge waste of resources to have all the infrastructure and support services only to be derailed by an act of armed invasion by a group of insurgents.
GLI’s programme takes cognizance of this and is deeply embedded in their programme is a modern security infrastructure using expertise from Germany.
Photo credits: Tomato waste in Benue State, Barnabas Wanger AkaazuaOnions
Meanwhile, the immense economic benefits of cultivating high-value crops in an environment free of security concerns cannot be over-emphasised. According to worldstagegroup.com¸ Onions is described as a commodity with vast potentials that could attract foreign investors thereby creating employment opportunities along with enhancing value-addition to consumption and industrial use.
It is pertinent to note that Onion farmers are poor in the use of risk-reducing initiatives. Also, most environmental constraints affect their ability to optimise their yields.
In September 2018, the Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science published results of a study on how grossly misaligned onion cultivation is in Nigeria.
To put it in perspective, Nigeria is the third largest in terms of land area set aside for cultivating onions. It comes immediately after China and India, the world leaders in onion production.
When it comes to yield, China and India produces commensurate tonnage annually at some 18 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes respectively, while Nigeria does just a little above one million tonnes, even though, like China and India, it could produce at least 4 times that figure on the same land sizeWhile China and India cultivate some 8 million and 9 million hectares of onion, Nigeria does 2.5 million hectares.
However, when it comes to yield, China and India produces commensurate tonnage annually at some 18 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes respectively, while Nigeria does just a little above one million tonnes, even though, like China and India, it could produce at least 4 times that figure on the same land size.
The entire country of Germany, for instance, cultivates onions from just about 87,000 hectares of land, but cultivates about a third (some 400,000 metric tonnes) of what Nigeria yields every year. That is about half of Nigeria’s turnover, yet, they use a land the one-twentieth the size of what Nigeria uses to cultivate onions.
The bottom-line for this disparity is the archaic agricultural methods still being used in Nigeria and most African countries.
With a population of some 200 million people, I million tonnes of onions produced in Nigeria is not enough to feed a people who rely heavily on them for their staple dishes. This pressure has driven onion prices through the roofs in recent times, a global and Africa-wide commerce ground to a standstill as a result of the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high costs of farm inputs such as fertilisers, as well as some protectionist trade policies by the Buhari administration. It is pertinent to note that Onion farmers are poor in the use of risk-reducing initiatives. Also, most environmental constraints affect their ability to optimize their yields.
In September 2018, the Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science published results of a study on how grossly misaligned onion cultivation is in Nigeria.
The entire country of Germany, for instance, cultivates onions from just about 87,000 hectares of land but cultivates about a third (some 400,000 metric tonnes) of what Nigeria yields every year. That is about half of Nigeria’s turnover, yet, they use land the one-twentieth the size of what Nigeria uses to cultivate onionsTo put this in perspective, Nigeria is the third-largest in terms of the land area set aside for cultivating onions. It comes immediately after China and India, the world leaders in onion production.
While China and India cultivate some 8 million and 9 million hectares of onion, Nigeria does 2.5 million hectares.
However, when it comes to yield, China and India produce commensurate tonnage annually at some 18 million tonnes and 11 million tonnes respectively, while Nigeria does just a little above one million tonnes, even though, like China and India, it could produce at least 4 times that figure on the same land size.
The entire country of Germany, for instance, cultivates onions from just about 87,000 hectares of land but cultivates about a third (some 400,000 metric tonnes) of what Nigeria yields every year. That is about half of Nigeria’s turnover, yet, they use land the one-twentieth the size of what Nigeria uses to cultivate onions.
The bottom-line for this disparity is the archaic agricultural methods still being used in Nigeria and most African countries.
With a population of some 200 million people, I million tonnes of onions produced in Nigeria is not enough to feed people who rely heavily on them for their staple dishes. This pressure has driven onion prices through the roofs in recent times, a global and Africa-wide commerce ground to a standstill as a result of the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high costs of farm inputs such as fertilizers, as well as some protectionist trade policies by the Buhari administration.
Nairametrics, a Nigeria-based market analyst has concluded that high prices of onions in Nigeria will become the “new normal”.
The growing uncertainty in food security makes the proposed Diaspora-led Green Leben Initiative (GLI) appear to be the most practical approach currently to solving the challenge, one crop at a time.
The GLI has gathered a team of industry experts and they plan to increase yield of onions by as much as 400% per acres in comparison to the average yield in the country currently.
To put the plan in perspective, it is common knowledge that due to the long cold spells in Europe, crop production should naturally be a challenge. That would have been true had the Europeans not had a re-thought and optimized their farming methods drastically with best practices and technology.
So, even though Germany and Holland are not particularly having favourable climatic conditions, they still manage onion yields of up to 35 metric tonnes per acre.
The plan being proposed by GLI in Benue State is a replication of what farmers had already achieved in Germany. The plan is two-pronged: A commercial onion value chain and capacity building for other farmers.
This is designed to ultimately improve food security in Nigeria from the farm to the dining table.
Data shows that despite producing some 1.4 million metric tonnes of onions in 2019, Nigeria still imports about 1.1 million metric tonnes every year, implying that the country requires approximately 2.5 million metric tonnes annually in satisfying the palette of a nation that depends so much on onions and the fact is often taken for granted.
Photo credits: Onion seller, S. Aderogba In an interview report with Financial Street on March 8th, 2021, I retorted that the difficulties associated with food supply chains especially that of Onions in Nigeria appear as consequential and at the same time polarized touching on the Southern and Northern regions in specific ways.
For the northern region (comprising the North-Central, North-East, and North-West geopolitical zones), it could result to:
1. Farmers and marketers relying on the sale of Onions, as well as other foods and agro commodities putting up with onerous economic burdens which will definitely result in protracted consequences touching on farmers’ households, children’s education, among other factors.
2. Tax from the government will equally drop which is directly proportional to sales which are less.
3. There will be skeletal loss of job opportunities for transporters, among other intermediaries.
On the other hand, for the South-West region, among other southern regions comprising the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones), they would definitely resort to finding alternatives to food items sourced from the North, giving rise to high inflation rates, a major blockade that will not just trigger in the south, but will unlock in damaging consequences in the short-run period. This is because there is barely adequate substitute for food and other agro items from the north.
Imagine this: From its blueprint, if GLI could gain access to 5,000 acres of land in Benue State, the state can produce 100,000 metric tonnes per planting season and 300,000 metric tonnes in three planting cycles a year. That is more than a quarter of what Nigeria imports annually.
To tackle all of the above, it is also essential for the consolidation of controlled storage infrastructure, added value creation, combined distribution & logistics, advisory services, know-how development & educationIt gets even better if Benue State exports some of its organic onions abroad for additional foreign exchange.
With their plan, 2,500 farmers would be directly involved as smallholders and additionally, some 15,000 other jobs in the onion value chain will be created in Oyo State.
That sounds too good to be true, but the fact is that Green Leben is already in Ghana and is in the process of securing the necessary funding to cultivate about 1,000 acres of onion in the Volta and Upper East Region of Ghana. There are already 100 farmers signed on to the Green Leben capacity building in Ghana.
A consignment of the regular red onion common in Nigeria has been imported into Ghana from GLI's partners in Germany to sample the Ghanaian market. Also, there is a consignment of about 20 metric tonnes available to be sent to Oyo State immediately as an introduction to the vegetable market in the state.
The challenges
Nigeria is far from surmounting its perennial problems plaguing the agricultural sector, including corruption which fundamentally blocks progress at many levels.
The lack of integrated Agro-food sector development policies on local, state as well as national levels is another pertinent problem, as well as limited vision-planning concerning demographics & population growth including changes from 200 to 400 million inhabitants.
To tackle all of the above, it is also essential for the consolidation of controlled storage infrastructure, added value creation, combined distribution & logistics, advisory services, know-how development & education.
In conclusion, there is an urgent redirection of agri-food policy in Nigeria, and what better place to start than the nation’s “food basket”?
Food security in a country like Nigeria should be treated as matter of national emergency, because no nation can have peace and progress if the population have no food to eat. It’s not that the land is not productive or that there is any lack of manpower to work the land. Come to think of the worst, “the total waste” of the food for lack of government policies and the needed infrastructure to preserve the food.
Let’s learn to treat food and the feeding of our population as important because it is
Coen said: "You need to organize the full supply chain, incl. the processing. ... So some fundamental steps need to be taken."
If we take Europe, did someone organize the supply chains? Or did they develop mainly based on the commercial initiatives of individual entrepreneurs?
Do you have small entrepreneurs in Nigeria already working in this field (processing and marketing of tomato)? Would the identification of a few of such entrepreneurs and their targeted support (technological, financial, etc.) not be a inexpensive start in order to develop a business model and to strenghen some key actors of the value chain?
Your both submissions are in order. Considering the nature and fragility of tomato fruit, I must say that any intervention that would help minimise wastage among the growers or dealers in the distribution channel is very much welcome and must be encouraged. Coen, we may need to discuss with the MD of TOPAN to see potential areas of collaboration in intervening in these concerns
I fully agree! But you don't have to shift to San Marzano industrial tomatoes ;-)
#8 Dick, a grower on it’s own, can’t solve this issue. You need to organize the full supply chain, incl. the processing. And you need the tomato before it’s start rotting, as is seen also in the video, this can already be a result of the current supply chain organization, way of handeling. So some fundamental steps need to be taken. And but I believe this is being done, domestic market needs to be protected from commodity tomato paste import from abroad, because competing with this will be hardly impossible.