Tomato: Dangote may sabotage 2020 farming season says Association Secretary

The National Secretary, Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanni Danladi has said that the 2020 tomato farming season may not be visible as the management of Dangote Tomato processing factory is yet to provide farmers with seedlings for six thousand  hectares, even as fund has been made available by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Danladi told Food Farm News at the Kwanar Gafan farm where planting suppose to have started in Kano.

Alhaji Danladi lamented that tomato seedlings that supposed to have been given to farmers by the management of Dangote processing factory is still pending even as CBN has disbursed over N1.6 billion to the company towards ensuring the improved seeds availability to farmers saying that the 2020 farming season for the produce might be a mirage if speedy action is not taken.

Danladi who advised the government on the need to flush out fake inputs from the market, stated that the management of Dangote had only been able to give delivery of seedlings only for over 1,087 hectares out of the six thousand hectares that are already prepared for planting even as the money for all had been given by the CBN, added that other inputs availability was a function of these seedlings provision.

Meanwhile the latest news reaching us was that another company has been appointed to supply the farmers with the improved seedling while that of the Dangote was still pending. The name of the company is Green View which has supplied 2000 hectares out of 3639, while about 650 metric tons of tomato harvested by farmers out of initial supply of Dangote have been given to it being the official off taker.