FG Announces New Policy On Tomato Import

Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who disclosed this yesterday stated that the new measures would become effective from May 7, 2017.

According to Enelamah, the policy will lead to increase in local production of fresh tomato for consumption and processing. It will also increase local production of tomato concentrate and reduce post-harvest losses.

The minister also explained that Nigeria imports an average of 150,000 metric tons of tomato concentrate per annum valued at $170million mostly due to inadequacy in capacity to produce tomato concentrate. Current demand for fresh tomato fruits is estimated at about 2.45million metric tons per annum (MTPA) while the country produces only about 1.8million MTPA.

Reacting to the news, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, who commended the policy said it would promote and encourage local production of tomato and the creation of more jobs in the tomato industry.

He also urged government to create a balance between the welfare of the people and the economic philosophy of economic nationalism in its policy by addressing major production problems like high cost of transportation, high energy cost, challenges of storage and processing of agricultural products, productivity issues, agricultural mechanization issues and many more that account for high food prices.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Conserveria Africana Limited (CAL), producers of ‘GINO’ and ‘POMO’ branded tomato pastes in Nigeria, Alhaji Francis Ogboro affirmed other stakeholders’ position that though the policy will hurt operators but the company will not relent in its backward integration agenda.

The Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods Limited, Chief Eric Umeofia, who also acknowledged that the policy is not new but it is a good one said “The important thing is to implement the policy. Government should see to the implementation of the policy. If we support our industries, we will grow the economy and avoid people committing suicides.”