The National Tomato Growers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) has called on the Nigerian government to support them as they deal with the huge post-harvest losses suffered by the association.

Rabiu Zuntu, chairman of NATPAN made this appeal on Tuesday, January 7, 2024, during an interview in Lagos with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He stated that FG's intervention is important in helping the sector cut down on post-harvest losses experienced annually.

Zuntu said: “Most farmers are smallholders and cannot afford loans to purchase the equipment needed to reduce post-harvest losses.”

He continued that, “one way to reduce post-harvest losses in tomato cultivation is by using plastic crates for transporting produce from the farm to the market, especially when moving tomatoes from the north to other parts of the country.

“With plastic crates, the rate of post-harvest losses during transportation across Nigeria will be significantly reduced.

“As an association, we are working with both existing and new processing facilities to cut down post-harvest losses and increase the income of our farmers.

“The use of local tomato processors is one of the cleanest methods for drying tomatoes, adding value, and boosting both farmers’ income and the growth of the sector.”

The chairman stated that some government organizations have introduced solar dryers for tomato preservation. “Farmers have shown interest in solar dryers, and we are set to adopt this method. However, despite their potential benefits, the high cost of the dryers means some farmers cannot afford them.”

Zuntu added that they were organizing farmers into clusters to enable them to pool resources together and afford solar dryers, ultimately reducing post-harvest losses.

Therefore, he called for government intervention to further support the initiatives of the association as well as ensure its sustainability.