Higher imports of maize, tomato loom with climate change, other issues

The Dry Season Farming scheme of the Federal Government is not being deployed in every part of the country. As a result, some parts of the country that contribute meaningfully to the country’s food basket, even though they are characterised by heavy rainfall, are subjected to climate change problems such as delay in the starting of rainfall.

This year, rain which ought to have started in April was delayed for about two months, and as a result, states in the Southwwest were unable to start the planting of commodities such as tomatoes and maize. Apart from direct consumption by individuals, these food crops are also cash crops because of their heavy demand by industries.

Tomato is used in the production of tomato pastes or purees and ketchups. Tomato pastes, though produced in Nigeria is so heavily consumed that the country still spends about N16 billion on its importation annually. This is according to former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who stated early last year in Kano, “The demand for tomato is currently estimated at 2.3 million metric tons per annum, while the output is 1.8 million metric tons.” Sanusi added that due to lack of good storage facilities and poor developed marketing channels, up to 50 per cent of the tomato produced is lost.

Also, there has been an exponential increase in demand for maize, driven mainly by an expanding poultry production industry. Maize is also utilised in the production of many packaged foods such as corn flakes. But due to irregularities in the supply of maize as a result of climate change problems, poor road infrastructure and poor processing and storage, some manufacturers, farmers and dealers sometimes resort to the importation of the commodity into Nigeria.

On the necessity of dry season farming in all parts of the country, Afioluwa Mogaji, veteran farmer and chief executive, X-ray Consulting says, “The funds for dry season farming is utilised by only 11 states out of the 36 states. Rains are of course expected to be higher in the southern part of the country than the north. However when the rains are delayed due to climate change conditions, since majority of farmers in the southern part of the country do rain-fed farming, there is terrible scarcity of these commodities.”

Mogaji however adds that every lapse of government is an opportunity for the private sector. Buttressing this, Nnamdi Anakwe of Foraminifera market research says the fact that over 50percent of tomatoes are lost during certain period of the year, making it expensive, makes tomato processing a viable business in Nigeria. “The demand for tomatoes and its by-product far outweighs the supply.” Anakwe says.

OLUYINKA ALAWODE