ABUJA: A research firm, Agusto and Company, has reported that although Nigeria accounts for about 10.8 per cent of Africa’s tomato production, the country imports processed tomato paste in excess of 300,000 metric tons valued at over $80 million (16 billion) annually from China and Italy.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods Limited, Mr. Eric Umeofia has said that his firm was making serious effort to achieve one million metric tonnes of tomato processing by the fourth quarter 2016. Umeofia, who made this known at the Katsina State Economic Summit recently, said it was a complete shame and embarrassment that while the country wasted its tomatoes in its backyards, it used its hard-earned money to import sub-standard tomato pastes from other countries, adding that with Erisco Foods Limited and Dangote Farms, Nigeria does not need to ever import tomato paste into the country again.
He, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment and support towards backward integration and economic stability. He said: “Erisco Foods alone has an installed capacity to produce 450, 000 metric tons of tomato paste per annum but we are currently utilising less than 20 per cent. Our target is to hit one million metric tons per annum when our Katsina, Jigawa and Sokoto state projects come on stream by the last quarter of this year as far as we receive adequate support.”
