GEMS4 plastic crates initiative seen as solution to tomato wastage

Plastic crates introduced by Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4) are seen as formidable solutions to incessant tomato wastage in Nigeria.

Africa’s largest economy is rated as the second largest producer of tomatoes in Africa and 13th in the world but about 41 percent of the crop is lost in transit from the North to the South as a result of poor handling practice.

Locally grown tomatoes often wilt on the vine and rot in raffia baskets on the road to market.

In an effort to address this wastage, GEMS4 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mile 12 Market Tomatoes Association on the use of plastic crates for tomatoes instead of the conventional raffia basket.

The GEMS4 plastic crates initiative, which is funded by Department for International Development (DFID), is targeted at improving the quality of packing materials used in perishable produce sector as well as reduce damage and losses.

“We need to improve our market materials. Transportation of tomatoes in raffia basket results in 41 percent of tomatoes being lost in transit from North to South but with plastic creates, it has been reduced to five percent,” said Richard Ogundele, Intervention Manager, GEMS4, during the signing of the MoU at Mile 12 market last Thursday in Lagos.

“For high value market to come to Mile 12 market and patronize tomatoes sellers, they need to change their handling behaviour, materials and change the way they present their goods,” he said.

Ogundele also noted that the initiative is providing opportunities for banks to play along and expand their agricultural lending portfolio.

A big challenge to agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria is lack of adequate infrastructure to support food production and distribution.

“The government also has a role to play. We cannot work on the value-chain without the government providing the enabling environment,” said Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, DFID South West Coordinator.

According to Haruna Mohammed, chairman of the perishable section of Mile 12 market, represented by Shehu Usman, “I was with GEMS4 in South Africa to see a lot of good handling practices and I know it’s a welcome development to Mile 12 market.”

“The environment we sell in Mile 12 is very poor unlike that of South Africa where you can actually sleep,” Usman said.

Arafat Hossain, Senior Intervention Manager, GEMS4, said it will have a transformational impact if all the traders adopt this kind of good practice. According to Hossain, when this is done, there will be surplus of tomatoes in the market.

“We are trying to do something on good handling practices. We need a lot of cooperation’s from the traders,” he said.

He further noted that the challenge the plastic initiative is facing is the attitude of the sellers to embrace change. He also said to address the challenge all stakeholders should come together and make some changes, while looking at the funding, profitability and the commercial sustainability.

Josephine Okojie