[This is an excerpt from Nairabrains.com, a platform that shares insights/strategy/ideas on life and business]

Tomato is a very popular vegetable not only Nigeria but all over the world. We use it in cooking stews, soups, salads, jollof rice etc. If you had any doubt about the importance of tomatoes in Nigerian food, the recent tomato scarcity clear that. Tomato Farming is easy to start and requires not special expertise.

People eat tomatoes because of it’s numerous health and nutrition benefits:
– It is an excellent source of vitamin C and beta-carotene.
– Tomatoes deep redness mean it’s a very good source of antioxidant agents.
– It’s a powerful source of vitamin E and enhance the health and sharpness of the eyes.

The Market
Tomatoes are in high demand in Nigeria. Nigerians consume over 300,000 tons of tomato paste which if you convert it, is over 1.5 million tons of fresh tomatoes, which is crazy. Nigeria is also the biggest importer of tomato paste in Africa and spends about 16 billion Naira annually importing tomatoes! Tomato Farming is a potentially a 100 billion Naira market in Nigeria.

Starting a Tomato farm in Nigeria
Growing tomatoes isn’t hard, but there are a few things to be aware of. As with all things agrarian, timing, genetics and environment have to be in alignment to reap the rewards of your efforts.

Basics things you Need to Start Tomato Farming in Nigeria
– A Fertile Land (Size depends on the scale you want to start)
– Tomato Seeds (there are various varities, we will talk about it below)
– A Nursery (for preparing the tomato seeds)
– Disease Prevention and control

Full article here