A pilot hybrid tomatoes production project has been established in Kano state by Dangote farms for its tomatoes processing plants in the state.
The Managing Director of the Dangote Farms, Alhaji Abdulhamid Kaita, made this known to newsmen in Kano at the end of a two day stakeholders’ forum on tomatoes value chain.
Alhaji Kaita said the company introduced the hybrid seedlings to farmers yet they insisted that the seedlings be tried by the company before they patronized it.
He noted that the company had began a pilot project at Kadawa area of the state during this year’s rainy season and was about to begin the second phase of the project during the dry farming season.
According to him, “The yield they produce now is about 10 tonnes per hectare by the hybrid seedling varieties we are introducing will produce 80 to 100 tonnes per hectare using the best practices.”
Explaining the purpose of the stakeholders meeting, the Director noted that it aimed at mobilizing the stakeholders to rub minds to save the company from collapse.
He added that the company had engaged farmers in the past two years providing them with best practices of tomatoes production and processing.
Furthermore, he noted that the company orgnised the farmers into clusters to prevent dealing with farmers individually for the benefit of the farmers and the company.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Richard Ogundele, an intervention Manager whole sale retail and good practices of the DFID’s Growth Employment in States (GEMS 4), commended the Dangote Farms for the initiative.
He said expressed optimism that the Dangote Farms would see the road map after the stakeholders’ forum as many problems were brought before the table for discussion and solutions were proposed.
Dangote Farms with support from the World Bank, conducted a two-day stakeholders’ meeting on tomatoes value chain ahead of the commencement of operation of the Dangote tomatoes processing plant in the next few weeks.
