It is the season for harvesting major vegetable crops such as tomatoes, bell peppers (Tatase) and onions in Nigeria. Vegetable farmers in Kano State and across major dry-season farming-producing states have already commenced harvesting.
Vegetable farmers across the axis of Garun Mallam and Kura Local Government Area were seen sorting, bagging and struggling to transport their harvested vegetables for further processing, storage and sales.
During a visit to the state, PREMIUM TIMES observed that hundreds of smallholder farmers growing these vegetables are already trooping to the market to trade their produce.
Despite this, most of the farmers who spoke with our correspondent said they are not at the peak harvest season yet.
It was gathered that a raffia palm basket of tomatoes is currently being sold at N30,000 as against N4000 and above that it was sold for during last year’s harvest.
However, there are existing concerns, including fluctuating prices, high cost of inputs, transportation, lack of government support at scale and lack of adequate storage facilities, among others.
Tomatoes
Botanically referred to as Solanum lycopersicum, Tomato is a flowering plant widely cultivated for its edible fruits. The crop has been described as a good source of vitamin C and a major spice condiment required for soups, particularly stews across many Nigerian homes.
Because the plant requires relatively warm weather and much sunlight, it is predominantly grown in the northern part of Nigeria in commercial quantities.
Many farmers in states like Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Kogi have huge tomato plantations.
Nevertheless, a large percentage of harvested fresh tomatoes across these states often rot away at the peak season due to a lack of effective and efficient storage facilities.
Tomato plants are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, likewise, the succulent nature of the fruits makes them highly fragile, perishable and susceptible to bacterial infection.
These fruits are commonly eaten raw in salads, served as a cooked vegetable, and used as an ingredient in various prepared dishes, and soups in many households.
Onions
Unlike tomatoes, onion is a herbaceous biennial plant grown largely for its edible bulb. It is grown throughout the world, particularly in the temperate zones.
Botanically referred to as Allium cepa, onions are low in nutrients but are valued for their flavour and are used widely in cooking. They add flavour to such dishes as stews, roasts, soups, and salads and are also served as cooked vegetables.
In Nigeria, it is widely grown in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto, Plateau, Bauchi and Kebbi States.
During a visit to major onion markets in Kano on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES also observed that limited storage facilities across farming hubs are causing high post-harvest loss, low food quality and undersupply of these agricultural products.
To address this, several demo storage facilities like the vegetable tent drier and aerated onion storage technology were seen to have been installed by private organisations like Sasakawa Africa Association through an ongoing Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, at strategic locations to help farmers address post-harvest challenges.
Concerns
Vegetable farming such as tomatoes and Onions is a significant revenue spinner among farmers in Nigeria. However, the farmers who spoke with our correspondent expressed worry about the significant spike in the prices of inputs, the imminent drop in the prices of these commodities at peak harvest and the lack of government intervention among others.
“We are almost at the peak of the harvest period. The tomatoes are at a good price, even though the price of inputs has changed by over 200 per cent,” said Sani Danladi, Kano State Chairman, National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN).
The farmer said the prices of some inputs like fertilisers that they were buying previously at N20,000, are now being sold at N50,000 and above.
“While people are lamenting that the prices of food items have gone up, they should also know that we farmers are buying inputs at a costly rate. We want the government to intervene, especially in terms of processing facilities,” Mr Danladi said.
He said the provision of processing facilities will help them to mop up excess tomatoes during peak harvest and that the prices of tomatoes will crash.
“The price of tomatoes is high now because we are at the beginning of the season. At peak harvest the prices will change. But we don’t want it to change in such a way that the farmers will not recover their investment,” the farmer said.
Over the past decade, excess fresh tomatoes produced in Nigeria have hardly been processed to paste. A Company like the Dangote Tomato paste plant in Kano expected to help fix this challenge has gone moribund.
Aside from the challenges of inadequate storage facilities, extreme weather events and pest attacks also had a huge toll on farmers’ activities during the ongoing dry season farming.
“Some of the tomatoes planted at the beginning of the season dried up completely. We don’t know what was attributed to that, likewise in some areas they are currently experiencing Tuta absoluta ( Tomato leaf miner) now,” Mr Danladi said.
As our correspondent travelled across the region, it was gathered that the significant increase in the prices of goods and services orchestrated by the government’s removal of fuel subsidies, naira devaluation, insecurity and extreme weather events are having a significant impact on farmers.
Also, it was gathered that off-takers from neighbouring countries like Ghana and Cameroon are seizing the advantage of naira depreciation to mop up produce from these markets.
Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
Donate
TEXT AD: Call Willie – +2348098788999
It is the season for harvesting major vegetable crops such as tomatoes, bell peppers (Tatase) and onions in Nigeria. Vegetable farmers in Kano State and across major dry-season farming-producing states have already commenced harvesting.
Vegetable farmers across the axis of Garun Mallam and Kura Local Government Area were seen sorting, bagging and struggling to transport their harvested vegetables for further processing, storage and sales.
During a visit to the state, PREMIUM TIMES observed that hundreds of smallholder farmers growing these vegetables are already trooping to the market to trade their produce.
Despite this, most of the farmers who spoke with our correspondent said they are not at the peak harvest season yet.
It was gathered that a raffia palm basket of tomatoes is currently being sold at N30,000 as against N4000 and above that it was sold for during last year’s harvest.
However, there are existing concerns, including fluctuating prices, high cost of inputs, transportation, lack of government support at scale and lack of adequate storage facilities, among others.
Tomatoes
Botanically referred to as Solanum lycopersicum, Tomato is a flowering plant widely cultivated for its edible fruits. The crop has been described as a good source of vitamin C and a major spice condiment required for soups, particularly stews across many Nigerian homes.
Because the plant requires relatively warm weather and much sunlight, it is predominantly grown in the northern part of Nigeria in commercial quantities.
Many farmers in states like Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Kogi have huge tomato plantations.
Nevertheless, a large percentage of harvested fresh tomatoes across these states often rot away at the peak season due to a lack of effective and efficient storage facilities.
Tomato plants are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, likewise, the succulent nature of the fruits makes them highly fragile, perishable and susceptible to bacterial infection.
These fruits are commonly eaten raw in salads, served as a cooked vegetable, and used as an ingredient in various prepared dishes, and soups in many households.
Onions
Unlike tomatoes, onion is a herbaceous biennial plant grown largely for its edible bulb. It is grown throughout the world, particularly in the temperate zones.
Botanically referred to as Allium cepa, onions are low in nutrients but are valued for their flavour and are used widely in cooking. They add flavour to such dishes as stews, roasts, soups, and salads and are also served as cooked vegetables.
In Nigeria, it is widely grown in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto, Plateau, Bauchi and Kebbi States.
During a visit to major onion markets in Kano on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES also observed that limited storage facilities across farming hubs are causing high post-harvest loss, low food quality and undersupply of these agricultural products.
To address this, several demo storage facilities like the vegetable tent drier and aerated onion storage technology were seen to have been installed by private organisations like Sasakawa Africa Association through an ongoing Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, at strategic locations to help farmers address post-harvest challenges.
Concerns
Vegetable farming such as tomatoes and Onions is a significant revenue spinner among farmers in Nigeria. However, the farmers who spoke with our correspondent expressed worry about the significant spike in the prices of inputs, the imminent drop in the prices of these commodities at peak harvest and the lack of government intervention among others.
“We are almost at the peak of the harvest period. The tomatoes are at a good price, even though the price of inputs has changed by over 200 per cent,” said Sani Danladi, Kano State Chairman, National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN).
The farmer said the prices of some inputs like fertilisers that they were buying previously at N20,000, are now being sold at N50,000 and above.
“While people are lamenting that the prices of food items have gone up, they should also know that we farmers are buying inputs at a costly rate. We want the government to intervene, especially in terms of processing facilities,” Mr Danladi said.
He said the provision of processing facilities will help them to mop up excess tomatoes during peak harvest and that the prices of tomatoes will crash.
“The price of tomatoes is high now because we are at the beginning of the season. At peak harvest the prices will change. But we don’t want it to change in such a way that the farmers will not recover their investment,” the farmer said.
Over the past decade, excess fresh tomatoes produced in Nigeria have hardly been processed to paste. A Company like the Dangote Tomato paste plant in Kano expected to help fix this challenge has gone moribund.
Aside from the challenges of inadequate storage facilities, extreme weather events and pest attacks also had a huge toll on farmers’ activities during the ongoing dry season farming.
“Some of the tomatoes planted at the beginning of the season dried up completely. We don’t know what was attributed to that, likewise in some areas they are currently experiencing Tuta absoluta ( Tomato leaf miner) now,” Mr Danladi said.
As our correspondent travelled across the region, it was gathered that the significant increase in the prices of goods and services orchestrated by the government’s removal of fuel subsidies, naira devaluation, insecurity and extreme weather events are having a significant impact on farmers.
Also, it was gathered that off-takers from neighbouring countries like Ghana and Cameroon are seizing the advantage of naira depreciation to mop up produce from these markets.
Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
Donate
TEXT AD: Call Willie – +2348098788999