By Agrobroadcast Team
Tomato farmers in Plateau State have raised concerns over the absence of adequate preservation and processing infrastructure, warning that the gap is undermining profitability and discouraging expansion in the sector.
The farmers, who spoke in separate interviews in Jos on Monday, identified post-harvest losses as the most critical constraint facing tomato cultivation in the state, noting that the highly perishable nature of the crop leaves them with limited marketing options.
Musa Abdullahi, a farmer who cultivates between three and five hectares annually, said the lack of cold storage and functional processing centres forces producers to dispose of their harvest almost immediately after picking.
Abdullahi, who records an average yield of 200 to 300 baskets per season, lamented what he described as inconsistent government intervention in the subsector.
“I have grown tomatoes for about a decade and understand the realities on the ground, especially for smallholder farmers,” he said.
“There are times we get subsidised fertilisers or improved seedlings, but such support is irregular. Because tomatoes spoil quickly and there are no proper storage facilities, we are compelled to sell at whatever price is available.”
He added that although some farmers resort to sun-drying as a preservation method, the practice does not sufficiently maximise returns on investment.
While acknowledging the role of private processors such as Tomato Jos Farming and Processing Limited and NaFarm Foods, Abdullahi noted that many small-scale producers still rely heavily on intermediaries to access markets, often at unfavourable terms.
Another farmer, Chundung Pam, highlighted additional constraints including pest infestations, crop diseases, rising fertiliser prices and escalating transportation costs.
Pam also cited insecurity in farming communities and unstable market prices as major impediments to sustainable tomato production in the state.
She called on both government and private investors to channel more resources into establishing modern storage systems, expanding processing capacity and strengthening direct support mechanisms for farmers to enhance value addition and stabilise incomes in Plateau’s tomato value chain.