THE Federal Government has concluded plans to partner with Kano State government on tomato paste production to discourage importation and support local production.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said this recently in Abuja when he received Kano State Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Baraka Sani, in his office.
Adesina recalled the period when the Kadawa River Valley in Kano State was producing about 640,000 metric tonnes of tomato as against the current production rate of 260,000 metric tonnes.
He noted that with value addition, the current production rate could be enhanced significantly to produce enough tomato paste, which could be processed, packaged and stored for local consumption and export.
To this end, the minister explained that the Federal Government will complement the efforts of the Kano State government leverage on the private sector to actively invest in the value chain so as to set up a world-class tomato paste production plant in Kano to stem the idea of massive importation of tomato paste by Nigeria from China to Italy.
Adesina also reiterated his administration resolve to support women in agriculture, as they constitute the largest percentage of farm labourers in the country, adding that empowering them means an improvement in household nutrition, education and general welfare.
In her earlier remark, Sani told the minister that Kano State government was gravely concerned over the influx of refugees from neighbouring states who continue to stretch the decreasing resources of the state especially food supplies hence the resolve o the state government to encourage and support an all-year round agricultural activity throughout the state.
To this end, she said Kano State government is already partnering with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to develop the irrigation infrastructure in the state to support irrigation farming.
The commissioner added that women in agriculture in the state are actively engaged in agricultural production in the area of rice production, poultry, fisheries, and horticulture without value addition and needs to be fully supported to ensure food security and improved livelihoods.
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