By Fola James
The Managing Director, Dangote Tomato Processing plant in Kadawa, Kano State, Abdulkarim Kaita has disclosed that the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS is frustrating the federal government’s efforts to ensure local production of tomato paste in the country, even after local manufacturers have increased their capacity to produce enough for consumption.
Kaita said he has severally met the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali on the need to stop the product from being brought in through neighboring countries.
He therefore called on the Federal government to stop the importation of the product, which he said is still thriving through the Cameroon and Cotonour in Benin Republic corridors.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government to put a total ban on the importation of tomato like what it did to rice,” Kaita said.
Kaita made the call at the flag off of the distribution of tomato seedlings to 5,000 farmers under the Anchor Borrowers programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN on at Kadawa village in Kura Local Government Area.
He said the ban on rice importation has proved that Nigeria can produce what she needs in terms of food production, insisting that the ban on the importation of tomato paste would lead to the establishment of more tomato processing plants, as well as create job opportunities for many Nigerians.
For instance, he said, his company has the capacity to produce 350 million tomato seedlings annually, which will ensure massive production of tomato paste.
According to him“There are 12 major tomato producing states in the country which if fully cultivated, in the next one year Nigeria will be able to start exporting tomato.
“It is only by putting a total ban on tomato importation that the government can encourage farmers to grow the commodity for the country to be self sufficient,” he said.
He explained that the company was working with the CBN under the Anchor Borrowers programme to provide tomato farmers with high yield seeds which would enable them to produce a minimum of 40 tons per hectare.
