Kano Tomato Company set for production

Addressing newsmen during the test running of the plant, the Vice President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Sani Dangote, said the factory is set for production.“The plant is ready for production; we are only waiting for farmers to start harvesting tomatoes so that we can swing into full production. By next week or so we will […]

Addressing newsmen during the test running of the plant, the Vice President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Sani Dangote, said the factory is set for production.
“The plant is ready for production; we are only waiting for farmers to start harvesting tomatoes so that we can swing into full production. By next week or so we will start production,” he said.
He said the 1,200 tonnes capacity per day plant would be producing fresh tomato paste for local consumption and that over 40,000 farmers in the state would benefit from it through 39 cooperative societies.
He urged the federal government to initiate policy including high tariff to discourage importation of tomato paste since the country possess all that are needed to be self-sufficient in tomato paste production.
“Nigeria is the biggest importer of tomato paste in Africa from China and with the right policy we are going to meet the tomato paste requirement of the country in a few years to come,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director Dansa Holdings Limited Abdulkareem Kaita said the plant would assist farmers in the North to address the problem of glut of tomato, adding, “with the coming of this plant, the problem of processing and storage as well as importation of tomato paste would stop in this country.”
In an interview with newsmen, the Sarkin Noma of Kano State, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo, said for about 40 years they have been yearning for a tomato processing plant to address the problem of processing and storage of tomatoes.
“Since the regime of Shehu Shagari we have been struggling for the establishment of a plant but our prayers have been answered with this. We are ready to supply the factory with tomatoes for it to survive,” he said.
The plant manager, Mr. Ashwin Patil who conducted newsmen round the factory said the plant is fully automated and that farmers in Kano can cultivate tomatoes throughout the year.