Agro-Business Opportunity in Nigeria: Tomato Paste Production

Thinking of a viable agribusiness to start that will guarantee good return on investment and be sustainable for the long-term? Maybe you don’t see yourself as a farmer or grower but still want to make and create wealth via farming or agribusiness?

Then tomato paste production is for you.

                                                                                                   Tomato Crop and Paste

Do not be surprised that Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest growers and consumers of tomato.

Countless truckloads of tomatoes can be seen almost on a daily basis making their way from the Northern part of the country where they are predominantly planted to the Southern region where they are generously consumed.

The sad part though is that a large chunk of this yummy crop does not make it into our pot of Stew, Edikaikong, Afam or Vegetable soup.

They are condemned and thrown away as waste, a couple of weeks after harvesting them.

The best way to store them for a much longer period therefore is to process the tomatoes into paste and package them properly.

That’s where a wise investor comes in.

Local production of tomato paste in Nigeria is almost non-existent despite the vibrant tomato farming activities in Nigeria. Most of the common brands you find in stores and in the markets are actually imported.

Certainly, not every tomato crop produced in peak season can be consumed or exported which leaves a large gap for wastage or processing.

Now, Nigerians are not dumb and a few entrepreneurs actually took the initiative to invest in tomato processing but many have shut down their factory due to non-availability of quality tomatoes that can meet specifications for industrial processing.

Well, you have an advantage.

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) have developed and released to farmers several varieties of certified improved tomato seedlings that is bound to produce top quality tomatoes and boost local production.

All you have to do is contact farmers who plant this improved varieties or even acquire the seedlings directly from RMRDC and plant it yourself.

Tomato is really not a stubborn plant to cultivate, mind you.

Whether you plan your paste production business to be small or giant scale, there is enough revenue to grab out of the over N1.5 billion expended annually on the importation of tomato pastes.

And when the Federal Government finally ban the importation of tomato pastes – and that policy is just by the corner – there would be more than a few tomato millionaires walking the streets and you could be one of them!