Tomato farmers in Plateau have decried the lack of storage and processing facilities for the produce.
Some of the farmers who spoke on Monday in Jos described the situation as the biggest challenge to tomato cultivation in the state.
Musa Abdullahi, who cultivates between three and five hectares each year, said that, due to its perishable nature, farmers were usually forced to sell their produce immediately after harvest.
Mr Abdullahi, who harvests between 200 and 300 baskets of tomatoes per season, expressed frustration that the government was not consistent in its support for this.
“I have been cultivating tomatoes for the last 10 years. I know exactly the plight of farmers, particularly the small-scale farmers.
“Occasionally, we receive subsidised fertilisers or improved seeds from the government, but the support is not regular. Most times, we sell quickly because tomatoes easily spoil; we do not have proper storage facilities in the state.
“Some farmers dry tomatoes under the sun, but that is not enough; that style isn’t giving the real value of the money expended,” he explained.
According to Mr Abdullahi, though some processing companies, such as Tomato Jos Farming, Processing Limited, and NaFarm Foods, buy tomatoes for processing, many smallholder farmers, however, still depend heavily on middlemen for access to markets.
Another farmer, Chundung Pam, identified pests and diseases, as well as the high cost of fertilisers and transportation, as other challenges affecting tomato production in the state.
Ms Pam also listed insecurity and volatile market prices as serious obstacles to effective tomato production in the area.
She urged the government and the private sector to invest more in storage facilities, processing plants, and direct farmer support to improve tomato farming in Plateau.
(NAN)