3,000 farmers to benefit from tomato preservation initiative

About 3, 000 farmers are expected to benefit from Kano Post-Harvest Hub initiative of an NGO, Pyxera Global YieldWise Nigeria, which aims at reducing post-harvest loss especially for tomato.

The YieldWise project, funded by Rockefeller Foundation gives farmers the opportunity to get alternative buyers and processors in addition to getting improved tomato seeds for better yields.

Lekan Tobi, the project director, at the inauguration said the decision to establish the hub was borne out of the NGO’s commitment to address the challenges of agricultural losses.

“The hub will provide opportunity for 3, 000 farmers in 44 cooperatives as they will have a packing house and processing units in the centre. The project will transfer the ownership of the hub to farmers’ groups in the area to enable them to use the facility even for other products such as cucumber, cabbage, onion, rice and maize among others,” Tobi said.

Earlier in his remarks, Nasiru Gawuna, the Kano State Deputy Governor said the state government would continue to give priority to agriculture in order to boost food production.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aminu Garba Gawuna commended YieldWise Nigeria for initiating the project.