Nigeria develops standards for tomato value chain

Nigeria has recently developed draft codes of practices for the tomato value chain from planting, harvesting, processing and transportation to storage.

This is in furtherance to the Federal government’s diversification drive with the aim of improving the agricultural sector.

Addressing members of the technical committee for fruits and vegetable products in Abuja recently, the Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Osita Aboloma described the meeting of the committee as a milestone in the country’s agricultural transformation and economic diversification agenda.

According to him, Nigeria as the second-largest producer of tomato worldwide is yet to attain its full potentials in spite of previous efforts by stakeholders.

ALSO READ: Drug abuse causes mental health problems, expert warns youths

Represented by the Chief of Staff to Director General, Barrister Richard Agu, Tribune Online reports that Aboloma described the technical committee meeting as being to develop a practical road map to mitigate identified challenges of poor practices, thereby unlocking the huge economic benefits to Nigeria and the African continent at large through exports.

He, however, expressed confidence in the committee’s capacity to produce implementable codes of practices for tomatoes from planting to storage, export and consumption, given the level of technical knowledge and experience that abound in the membership.

The SON boss disclosed that collated comments obtained from the relevant stakeholders during the national enquiry stage of the standards development process would be available for the committee’ discussion.

He further acknowledged the support of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and described the organisation as “having been very enthusiastic about this project and highly supportive of the realisation of today’s meeting”.

Aboloma expressed delight about plans by the committee to further simplify the draft codes, using pictorials and translation into the major Nigerian languages for easy comprehension by all stakeholders, irrespective of the levels of education.

He, therefore, challenged the committee to immediately set up an agenda for the quick realisation of the task.

Speaking on the task of the Committee, the Chairperson, Dr Abiola Oke of National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan described the Nigerian codes of practice for tomato as the national guides for farmers and processors to meet the requirements of the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards in providing quality raw materials to local processing plants.

She said “the aim of the codes is to help farmers produce safe, fresh tomato as raw materials for the local industries thereby reducing the importation of processed tomato products which is a burden on Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings”

She stated that the codes will facilitate the safe production of tomato for consumption through prioritised use of bio-pesticides as well as other human and environmentally safe operational measures.

Dr Oke enumerated the technical committee’s resolution to create a viable tomato product value chain, clearly stating conditions required at each stage within the convenient trade reality of Nigeria.

She disclosed that the Codes of Practices for Planting, Harvesting, Processing, Transportation and Storage are newly developed while the Standard for Tomato fruit was revised.

The final drafts according to her have been submitted to the SON Management for consideration and approval by the Nigerian Standards Council.