Let's start cultivating tomatoes in the southern part of the country. Not just tomatoes now. Nigerian graduates should venture into agriculture. The truth is there is no job out there. We will be able to feed ourselves and still have money in our pockets and the banks. LET'S ALL GO TO THE FARM!!!

zaynie:
Do you even know the reason behind this scarcity?

You can bet he doesn't.

Where are the farmers in the house? We need suggestions asap

I have someone who is leader in market association in a market in Lagos we have been buying tomatoes from benin,ghana for a while now.The North alone deosn't produce the tomatoes we consume.Stae govts can start a compulsory buy a half plot along with full plot for your house use half plot for tomatoes and vegetables and this will automatically drie the market demand down.

Every landlord should have a garden no matter how small... I don't buy bitter leaf,scent leaf and plaintain.
Cos its in my backyard

Nobody from south east will complain because we have the solution it's name is AKWU the Palm seed that produces Palm oil we use it to do our stew called ofe akwu and even in our soup and its more cheaper as paint of it is not more than 300 naira

Ademat7:

2. is north the only source of this product? if No let our land borders b open;Togo,Benin, et al will cushion the scarcity effect

U guys shud start farming tomatoes .

@paul chucks south east ko south north ni..with the horrible soup you serve your guests when they visit abi..u think say na every bodi fit eat that slime..not dissing South east the guy understand what i mean.

This happens every year because the present economy, it is worse. Tomato is always expensive in April/May. Our Government should have sat down organisations like IITA to develop a specie that would be resistant to pest/weather (whichever is the cause of this scarcity year in year out)

Naikkie:
Let's start cultivating tomatoes in the southern part of the country. Not just tomatoes now. Nigerian graduates should venture into agriculture. The truth is there is no job out there. We will be able to feed ourselves and still have money in our pockets and the banks. LET'S ALL GO TO THE FARM!!!

The average Nigerian is too proud to think in that direction

@D2diff the tomato we are presently consuming up to yams are product on IITA research,the normal Northern tomato has been done away with in commercial volumes in a long time,the issue is this Govts abroad gives subsidies and grants for certain foods to be planted so farmers themselves can diversity Tomato is troublesome because of tomato worms and pathogens that destroys the crop a normal farmer can plant maize for example leave it and walk away without the montioring tomato deserves we need the templates used in foreign country if you plant certain crops get grants or if u want to plant u get govt approved lands for farming so we need catchment areas for planting just tomatoes and each house can cultivate.I'm ashamed seeing pictures of farms in USA where each house owns a tomato farm at the backyard do you know what it means if 10000houses produces tomatoes of 1000naira which in terms of economic and monetary value ? it means this 10,000houses produces 10,000,000naira worth of tomatoes and can get tournament rate and taxies reduced in exchange..simple..Politicains dont think and wont employ active minds like ours to help them out...im out

I think it's about time youths venture into agriculture.

Ademat7:
innovation they say is the mother of invention,two topics have grace the FP we all share problems but solution hence I wish we could hv a shift of paradigm, without much ado let's get to Biz
1. leaders of pepper and tomato sellers association be summoned by national assembly
2. is north the only source of this product? if No let our land borders b open;Togo,Benin, et al will cushion the scarcity effect
3.let our security men stop collecting "kickback" from market women

more ideas are welcome...

I hope you know that the current tomato crop was wiped out by pests. But currently, tomatoes are already being brought in from Cameroon. I believe an NL member is doing so already. I am a grower to but only on 5 acres.
Your ideas are commendable

Lazy Nigerian's Go farming, be part of those that produce tomatoes.

I doubt that is the primary reason. We only experience this type of scarcity at this time of the year. How would you explain that? Your explanation does not explain it at all.

Most homes in US do not plant tomatoes, I believe. maybe the pictures you saw are farmhouses.

Harvesthomes:
@D2diff the tomato we are presently consuming up to yams are product on IITA research,the normal Northern tomato has been done away with in commercial volumes in a long time,the issue is this Govts abroad gives subsidies and grants for certain foods to be planted so farmers themselves can diversity Tomato is troublesome because of tomato worms and pathogens that destroys the crop a normal farmer can plant maize for example leave it and walk away without the montioring tomato deserves we need the templates used in foreign country if you plant certain crops get grants or if u want to plant u get govt approved lands for farming so we need catchment areas for planting just tomatoes and each house can cultivate.I'm ashamed seeing pictures of farms in USA where each house owns a tomato farm at the backyard do you know what it means if 10000houses produces tomatoes of 1000naira which in terms of economic and monetary value ? it means this 10,000houses produces 10,000,000naira worth of tomatoes and can get tournament rate and taxies reduced in exchange..simple..Politicains dont think and wont employ active minds like ours to help them out...im out

Are you guys aware that a disease infected the tomatoes in the country?
Stop blaming dangote,with a 30m square land you can grow tomatoes for you and your family all year round in the south,it was done before why can't we do it again?

divineappo:
my broda, its very obvious u are just seeking attention

The 1st and 2nd solution u suggested are d dumbest ever. They should summon dem to national assembly, funny you! Govt shuld open d borders and publicly declare smuggling as a legal biz, when we are supposed to be self-sufficient in food production. My broda, U are off d hook

you never give us d solution you babaric challenger

paulchucks:
Nobody from south east will complain because we have the solution it's name is AKWU the Palm seed that produces Palm oil we use it to do our stew called ofe akwu and even in our soup and its more cheaper as paint of it is not more than 300 naira

So, you think palm oil is a substitute for tomatoes? I'm sure you use palm oil to cook jollof rice and garnish it with palm kernel.

@D2diff i diidn't mention most homes.Don't misquote me.I meant i saw houses.whether it's a few or not..how many urban dwellers even outside Lagos incorporate farming into their live routine ? I already gave clear strategies please re-visit my submissions.

1. State govts can give grants to specific farmers

2. Taxes can be reduced so house incorporate farming into dwelling

3. A model for the system has to be developed,i mentioned example when 10,000houses plant 1000naira worth to an economical figure of 10m worth of tomatoes alone

4. Cheap lands can be given to this purpose alone and it can be incorporated as a post-service course

5. Govt can build seed storage facilities so seeds can be distributed with ease.

6. A marketing/logistics system can be employed by the govt where govt injects production and markets thru market/govt framework without govt thwarting the present distribution system in order to force farmers to sell them to end users rather than processing companies.

7. Availability of cheap perishable systems so rural farmers can take a week to distribute without fear of spoilage.

8. Tv and radio broadcast to sensitize the people( Rather than fight that young IPOB fighter doing this would yield results and praise for this guy's govt rather than engagin in too many battles which would suck up too much attention,same goes to all state govts).

9. State institutionalize production centers and granted to local govts to over watch them,the truth is any scarce commodity can have a market built around it with competitiveness and productivity rewarded for a country that doesn't reward productivity thru competitiveness why should anything work ?

I'm out of here your politicians are not in my league...

Cheap Solar powered fridges and storage centers Is the solution

Virus affected tomatoes farm in the North and its affecting the whole country. The solution is simple other region like se, ss, sw should go into farming. Farming shouldn't be a north thing alone.
Also solar energy and other source of clean energy should be utilize to produce power for these farms.

Ofe Akwu is the only solution to me.

worms and virus isn't a yardstick for complain.Do you know ordinary peppery stuffs like neem bark and root and pepper itself can be sprayed before planting to kill pathogens in the ground.

1. Kill the pathogens in the ground during pre-planting

2. Treat the seeds with good anti bacterial

3. Plant

4. Preservation

5. Storage and effective distribution ( Since the market is there )

So what's stopping Nigeria ?

Abeg i'm thinkin i'm looking for 1 Million To start my own farming..i need to think how to structure my small business to generate me this income...peace out guys

I understand you but it your solution is not addressing the problem. We have periods where tomato is very cheap and abundant. The question is why is that around this time every year tomato becomes scarce and expensive? Do you have any proof that it is because of low production? If yes, why do farmers decide not to produce for this period?


I am not saying the solutions you have given are not on point in fact I think they are a bit too much
-Loans+grants+contracts for specialised farmers is all we need. Lands in the outskirts of most cities/towns are extremely cheap. This should be applicable to most agricultural produce.

I know this because we used to have a small garden of tomatoes, scotch bonnet, ewedu, African spinach, bitter leaf and okra. This is a seasonal issue. Your solution shhould be tailored along that line. What can we do to make our tomatoes plants productive during this period? So far, it seems our tomatoes are seasonal.

Harvesthomes:
@D2diff i diidn't mention most homes.Don't misquote me.I meant i saw houses.whether it's a few or not..how many urban dwellers even outside Lagos incorporate farming into their live routine ? I already gave clear strategies please re-visit my submissions.

1. State govts can give grants to specific farmers

2. Taxes can be reduced so house incorporate farming into dwelling

3. A model for the system has to be developed,i mentioned example when 10,000houses plant 1000naira worth to an economical figure of 10m worth of tomatoes alone

4. Cheap lands can be given to this purpose alone and it can be incorporated as a post-service course

5. Govt can build seed storage facilities so seeds can be distributed with ease.

6. A marketing/logistics system can be employed by the govt where govt injects production and markets thru market/govt framework without govt thwarting the present distribution system in order to force farmers to sell them to end users rather than processing companies.

7. Availability of cheap perishable systems so rural farmers can take a week to distribute without fear of spoilage.

8. Tv and radio broadcast to sensitize the people( Rather than fight that young IPOB fighter doing this would yield results and praise for this guy's govt rather than engagin in too many battles which would suck up too much attention,same goes to all state govts).

9. State institutionalize production centers and granted to local govts to over watch them,the truth is any scarce commodity can have a market built around it with competitiveness and productivity rewarded for a country that doesn't reward productivity thru competitiveness why should anything work ?

I'm out of here your politicians are not in my league...

grayht:
Buy tin tomatoes na...

is that your picture attached? you owe yr mum more that a $1m for destroying that precious thing oo, haba?

Ademat7:
innovation they say is the mother of invention,two topics have grace the FP we all share problems but solution hence I wish we could hv a shift of paradigm, without much ado let's get to Biz
1. leaders of pepper and tomato sellers association be summoned by national assembly
2. is north the only source of this product? if No let our land borders b open;Togo,Benin, et al will cushion the scarcity effect
3.let our security men stop collecting "kickback" from market women

more ideas are welcome...

In my opinion,I feel planting at least some of your own food would go a long way in easing the pain people ate presently going through. For the past 3 years,I've been planting my own vegetables,e.g spinach,pumkin leaves,tomatoes,pepper,Basil(effinrin),mint,water leaf,and bitter leaf at home. Our flooring is interlocked so there's no space to plant,so because of that I used pots and bags to plant. Initially I started planting for the fun of it,I enjoyed it,now it has helped. I think people should cultivate the habit of planting simple veggies like this,it could help during scarcity!

SW also produce tomatoes. It might not be as high as the North. Also, the species are different. I I know this because there are periods where you will mostly find SW tomatoes in the market and there are periods where the common and affordable tomatoes are from the North.

Whatever is happening is more than what is affecting the North. I think it has more to do with the season or something in this season that affects tomatoes in general.

MrTruth4real:
Virus affected tomatoes farm in the North and its affecting the whole country. The solution is simple other region like se, ss, sw should go into farming. Farming shouldn't be a north thing alone.
Also solar energy and other source of clean energy should be utilize to produce power for these farms.

One key factor that has led to tomato scarcity is its PRESERVATION. Most farmers don't know how to preserve tomatoes for long time, even we individuals can't store tomatoes for long (erratic power supply). It is for this reason, Dangote& Erisco food decided to set-up tomato plants to utilize these tomates that are left to rot away. For now, the underlying problems are the Preservation techniques & the Herdsmen problem. #kapish

@D2diff i'm a Biotechnologist/Geneticist Food Biotechnology is my field as well as Agriculture in the broadstream Now Let me break it down,you can wikipedia this info Nigeria is among the top 3 largest producer of crops like groundnut in the world....But why Groundnut and not tomato..answer...money...which is why i gave solution give grants for certain crops to be planted..why the tomato farmer goes through stress before he even gets tomato and runs high risk of spoilage The soyabeans Maize Groundnut farmer can plant extract oil and first sell as Vegetable oil..sine the oil is removed the remnant isn't prone to quick spoilage and is still sold as feed for animals..so double money...less monitoring..i still spoke with the guy to help me manage a 10 acres i'm planning on and we both agreed on this..He chose to monitor for me crops that needs less supervision because the more the supervision the more i had to pay if i was paying 50,000 per acre for just supervision and a crop like tomato needs morre supervision he charges me 75,000 per acre...now times this figure to like ordinary 10 acres and see the difference,i did my research on India Government had to intervene and do this through aggregate distribution and it works.South Korea adopted this model for Rice and used for other crops.It's just copy and paste..but can one copy and paste unless he first of all reads....READING is the problem.people don't read..

HomeOfMe:
In my opinion,I feel planting at least some of your own food would go a long way in easing the pain people ate presently going through. For the past 3 years,I've been planting my own vegetables,e.g spinach,pumkin leaves,tomatoes,pepper,Basil(effinrin),mint,water leaf,and bitter leaf at home. Our flooring is interlocked so there's no space to plant,so because of that I used pots and bags to plant. Initially I started planting for the fun of it,I enjoyed it,now it has helped. I think people should cultivate the habit of planting simple veggies like this,it could help during scarcity!

Location is a factor bro! There are some areas in lagos where there are no space for that. Moreover you are able to do that because you live in your house, how about those in rented apartments.

By the way guys i plant about 80 heads of yam and have about 100 plantain stands.I grow my vegetables okra etc.I dont plant tomato anymore because of the greedy neighbors,do u know how i felt harvesting 80 heads of yam ?