Heat wave caused by the effects of climate change had destroyed tomato farms belonging to processors in the northern parts of the country, it has been confirmed.
Eric Umeofia, the Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that heat wave caused by the effects of climate change had destroyed tomato farms belonging to processors in the northern parts of the country.
He appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to assist tomato processors with foreign exchange for the importation of heat-resistant tomato seedlings.
According to him, processors need foreign exchange for the procurement of the seedlings and other tools, to sustain the country’s sufficiency in local production of tomato paste.
"Reduced access to fresh tomatoes has affected our production capacity, as we are presently producing below capacity. We need forex to import heat-resistant seedlings and treatment tools to continue production. Access to foreign exchange will mitigate the reoccurrence and reduce the influx of imported, substandard tomato paste into the country," he said.
It was gathered that the Dangote Tomato Processing Factory in Kadawa, Kano State, has suspended production due to lack of access to fresh tomatoes for production. The company said pests had destroyed its tomato farms in the northern parts of the country.