The Vice-President, Yemi Osibanjo, has concluded a working visit to the multi-billion Naira Dangote Tomato Processing Plant which is situated in Kano, one of Nigeria agricultural hub.
The one-day visit to the plant, was part of a nationwide inspection of some selected manufacturing centres, by the Vice-President to enable him have first information on the challenges confronting players in the industrial sector in the country.
The Vice-President, who was accomplished by the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Investment arrived the plant at about 1pm on Monday, and was conducted round by Sani Dangote, the Chairman of the company.
Briefing the Vice-President, Sani Dangote said that the plant, which is the largest in West Africa, requires 1,200 metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes daily, which is an equivalent of 40 trucks each with the capacity of 30 metric tonnes on a daily basis.
According to him, the Plant, when fully operational, will indirectly provide means of livelihood for over 100,000 farmers, adding that one of the multiplier effects which the plant will create ranges from providing jobs for transport service delivery, labour for loading and off loading, packaging and distribution, among other.
Sani added that the establishment of the plant will help reduce the current loses of about 40 percent of tomatoes harvested in country as a result of poor post-harvest handlings, which experts say runs into several billions of Naira yearly.
The Vice-President concluded the tour of the plant around 2.15pm, without making any comment on his observation, and then proceeded to inspect the some tomato growing farms on the Kadawa tomato growing belt of the state.
Speaking on the side-lines of the visit, Abdulkarim Kaita, who is the managing director of the company, used the occasion to call on the Federal Government to ban imported Tomato Paste.
Kaita said the call became necessary, as the continuing importation of sub-standard paste, particularly from China into the country, has remained the biggest threat to the growth and development of the indigenous tomato paste industry.
In addition to the ban, he also wants the Federal Government to fast track steps being taken to address the challenge of electricity outages being experienced by manufacturers in the country.
He said that before the temporary shut- down of the company as a result of raw-material shortages, the plant has been operating on its own alternative power generation plant which cost the company several millions of Naira daily.
On efforts being made by the company to grow its own tomatoes, the managing director disclosed that the company has established several hectares of farms for the cultivation of tomatoes near the plant, adding that several farmers in the state and its environs are also being engaged to grow the commodity.
Similarly, Kaita said another 200 hectares farm has been established by the company in Wudil Local Government Area of the state, pointing out that a 5,000 hectares farm is also being established in Kaduna state.
“As a way of meeting the increasing requirement of tomatoes by the plant, we have embarked on the introduction of new verities of tomatoes for cultivation by our farmers; the verities being introduced are sweet-able cultivation at all seasons.
“The introduction of the new verities of tomatoes are expected to go a long way in addressing the challenge of shortages of raw material and prevent future shorting down of the plant” he stated.
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