Re: FG to ban tomato paste imports

My attention has been drawn to a recent report, published in the Daily Trust newspaper of November 29, 2016, page 9, entitled, “FG to ban tomato paste imports”. The report disclosed that the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh had said that the federal government is going to ban importation of foreign tomato pastes into […]

My attention has been drawn to a recent report, published in the Daily Trust newspaper of November 29, 2016, page 9, entitled, “FG to ban tomato paste imports”. The report disclosed that the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh had said that the federal government is going to ban importation of foreign tomato pastes into the country very soon because of a report issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) that those foreign tomato pastes being imported into Nigeria are not good.

In fact, there are many reasons that will make federal government to ban the importation of the foreign tomato pastes in this time, in which the federal government makes every effort to attain self-sufficiency in food production. The government should sustain Nigerians’ local production of tomato pastes of our country via innovative technology. This will also boost local consumption of our agricultural products.

Nigeria’s ministry of agriculture has put annual current demand for tomato puree at 900,000 tonnes. According to the ministry, Nigeria produces 1.5 million tonnes of tomato annually of which about 900,000 tons rot. Today, we have plenty factories of providing sufficient tomato pastes for Nigerians like Erisco Foods Limited, situated in Lagos, and Dangote factory for tomato pastes situated in Kano state.

Fortunately, Nigerians would be in high spirits if they hear that the Dangote factory, an innovative technology for the production and packaging of the tomato pastes, provides 430,000 tonnes of pastes for Nigerians. It is estimated that 50,000 farmers have also engaged to grow the tomatoes required for the factory in Kadawa valley of Kano state. On the other hand, the Erisco Foods factory is also an innovative technology one that could be able to curb waste of our tomatoes. It is expected that the factory has the capacity to produce 450,000 metric tons of tomato pastes annually. 

Ultimately, the government should invite investors from inside and outside Nigeria to set up agro-allied industries to strengthen the package and production of the tomatoes paste. It is also supposed to promote the increased application of modern technology to agricultural production so as to facilitate the achievement of the self-sufficiency of food production and the food security policies in Nigeria. Obviously, allowing internal and external investors to engage in the production and packaging our owned tomatoes could make Nigeria a net exporter of our owned tomato pastes. Inviting investors will also support the creation of jobs for Nigerians.

Mustapha Baba Azare, Bauchi State