Kano — PYXERA Global Nigeria Yield Wise project , a non-governmental organization (NGO) said it recently trained 20, 610 tomato farmers on how to reduce post-harvest losses in the tomato value chain in last three years.
The project Director, Mr. Lekan Tobi, disclosed this at the end of a workshop held in Kano recently, saying during the period under review, the project was able to link 16, 206 farmers.
The farmers were also linked with buyers in addition to introducing 12 pre and post-harvest loss reducing technologies to farmers, farmers’ associations and value chain actors.
According to him, the project had also initiated the Tomato Triangle plus (TT+) initiative – a platform for influencing the creation of an enabling environment by governments for the development of tomato value chain in Nigeria. “In total, the programme reached 27,449 farmers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states during the period under review, “he said.
The project Director said the objectives of the event was to share the knowledge gained and lessons learnt over the last three and half years of the programme and to formally announced the closing of programme to stakeholders.
“In January 2016, PYXERA Global commenced the implementation of Yield Wise project with the goal of reducing post-harvest loss in the tomato value chain by 50 per cent and increasing farmer’s income by the same percentage,” he added. Also speaking, the Secretary, Irrigation Water Users Association, Mustapha Adamu urged the Rockefeller Foundation to sustain the project by providing additional grant.
Mustapha, also called on the Kano State Government to support tomato growers with improved tomato seeds and other inputs to boost the production of the commodity. The Yield Wise project is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation in collaboration with PYXERA Global with the aim of reducing post-harvest losses.
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