With a mission to improve income and employment opportunities within Nigeria’s wholesale and retail sector, particularly for the economically challenged and most vulnerable, Growth and Enhancement in States – GEMS 4 initiative is currently working to enhance the situation within the Nigerian Tomato industry.
In line with their mission, GEMS4 recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 10 tomato traders, for the distribution of 2, 240 returnable plastic crates to tomato sellers at the Mile 12 International Market, so as to reduce post-harvest loss, as well as imbibe the culture of Good Handling Practices (GHP) in order to boost tomato production, sales, and safe distribution across Nigeria.
Stakeholders in the agric sector, including the representatives of the DFID, World Bank, Lagos State government, GEMS 4, Skye Bank, Coffey International Development, amongst others, had converged at the head office of the Tomatoes Sellers Association (TSA) unit of The Fresh Fruit Vegetable Community Dealers Association of Nigeria (FFVCDAN), Mile 12 Market Lagos, to reposition the tomatoes section of the market in tandem with international best practices, in a bid to attract the High Value Market.
Considering the consumption pattern, vis-a-vis the commodity production volume of the Nigerian consumer market, tomato is by far, the highest consumed agricultural commodity. Nevertheless, between 40 and 50 percent of the farm produce is lost from farm gate to table. This is as a result of poor handling practice through the use of traditional baskets as against quality packaging method like the Returnable Plastic Crates (RPC).
According to the Senior Intervention Manager of GEMS4, Arafat Hossain, the application of good handling practices and the use of improved packaging materials, will aid in reducing post-harvest loss of tomato produce to as low as five percent (5%). He hinted that quality produce basically provides good reward for the farmers and by inference, consumers get good nutritional products.
Corroborating Hossain, the Intervention Manager, GEMS 4, Richard Ogundele stated that the transportation of tomatoes in woven baskets records an average of 51 percent produce-loss due to damage.
Ogundele commented on the progress of the intervention programme, disclosing produce request from the High Value Market such as the chain-store giant Shoprite, with an already signed agreement by 10 tomato dealers to deliver 50 crates of tomatoes each. He also disclosed that banks are expected to cash in on the development.
Speaking on the current situation of the Mile 12 Market as an eye sore, he added that a lot of sensitisation needs to be done, to sanitise and upscale the environment for serious business. “To attract High Value Market (HVM), there is a need to change the handling behaviour; we need to change the product packaging materials, they need to change the way they present their goods. One of the areas you can create employment opportunities to teeming Nigerians is the agriculture sector,” he said.
Representing the DFID, South West Coordinator, Dr. Adesina Fagbenro, described the intervention by GEMS 4, as an opportunity to know the extent of damage and waste incurred by the traders and farmers alike as well as to reduce same.
“For example, a trader who bought 10 tonnes, can only get value for 5 tonnes, you can imagine what is lost or what’s wasted, simply because of the way we manage this produce. So we discover that we cannot only increase the earning power of the producers but the people who are marketing too. That’s why you will go and buy 100 tonnes from Kano to get to Lagos and only be able to sell 50 tonnes.”
“This intervention is not only to increase income, it is to give us more and better products, because there is a Yoruba adage that says: Once hunger is got rid of, poverty is reduced. The question is what can the farmers do to bring all their produce safely to the market without being wasted or damaged. If this can be effectively tackled then the farmers, and by extensions the traders, will get more money in their bank accounts,” he stated.
Representing the Chairman of the association, the General Secretary of the group, Alhaji Shehu Usman expressed his gratitude to DFID-GEMS 4, the Lagos State Government, and other stakeholders present at the event. He praised the intervention, disclosing that several other groups had come around and promised to help shape the market as well as assist them in various ways, but they never made good on their promises. He pledged the commitment of his group to make the best use of the materials given to them.
Leading other players in the tomato intervention campaign bid to modernise the tomato section is the Department for International Development (DFID); a United Kingdom government department responsible for administering overseas aid with the goal of promoting sustainable development and eliminating world poverty.
The GEMS4 project funded by the DFID is working with business associations, service providers, producers, retailers, wholesalers and other actors involved in the market, by linking them up, so as to work together and serve each other better. Additionally, the project is building local capacity and changing market incentives so that the sector better meets the long-term needs of the economically challenged.
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