By Awyetu Asabe Hope
No fewer than 100 tomato farmers, processors, marketers and other value chain actors from North-West Nigeria were trained on Wednesday in climate-smart agriculture to boost production, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen resilience to climate change.
The capacity-building workshop, held in Zaria, was organised by the Future Africa Research and Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF II) Programme in collaboration with the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries and Aquaculture Studies and other partners.
The convener, Dr. Ololade-Latifat Abdulrahman, said the initiative was designed to address the growing threat climate change poses to tomato production and the livelihoods of thousands of Nigerians who depend on the crop.
She described tomatoes as a key food crop that provides food, income and employment for millions but noted that erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, pest infestations, diseases and high post-harvest losses continue to undermine productivity.
According to her, the training is part of a research project on the climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity of tomato value chain actors, aimed at identifying practical adaptation strategies and generating evidence to support policymaking and agricultural extension services.
Abdulrahman said participants would receive improved tomato seeds and plastic crates to encourage the adoption of climate-smart farming practices and improved post-harvest handling techniques.
A participant and Agricultural Extension Officer with the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency, Malam Aliyu Umar, said the workshop equipped farmers and extension workers with practical skills to improve tomato production and reduce post-harvest losses, adding that the improved seeds would help farmers adapt to climate change.
Another participant, tomato farmer and processor Malama Asibi Hassan, described the training as timely, saying it enhanced participants’ knowledge of packaging, preservation and value addition.
She attributed rising tomato prices to inadequate preservation and processing facilities, noting that significant quantities of harvested tomatoes are lost before reaching consumers.
Hassan urged governments and development partners to complement such training with subsidised processing equipment, solar dryers, greenhouses and other technologies to support year-round tomato production and preservation.
