Feature: Tomato growers in N. Tanzania struggle to battle post-harvest losses

Huge post-harvest losses of farm produce remain a daunting challenge to tomato growers in northern Tanzania.

Hawa Nassoro, a tomato farmer in northern Tanzania's Kilimanjaro region, cites government ban on export of unprocessed crops and lack of processing plants as key factors for farmers in the area to lose their fortune.

Addressing the National Assembly in July this year, Tanzania's Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Charles Tizeba banned the export of unprocessed cereal crops and others, urging farmers and businessmen to export value-added agro produces.

"Before the ban, we used to sell our tomatoes to Kenyan businessmen, who would offer competitive price, but now we've nothing to do," said Nassoro while picking ripe tomatoes in her two-acre farm.

According to her, a 60kg-crate of tomatoes is now sold at 0.92 U.S. dollars, from 13.75 dollars three months ago.

"I am not sure if I recover the money I spent during the entire farming process from buying seeds and farm inputs as well as labor," said Nassoro.

She is also worried about whether she can be able to repay the loan she borrowed.

"I'm so confused," Nassoro said she isn't assured of getting customers in the market while pouring harvested tomatoes in the crate.

Nassoro is not alone. There are many farmers in the region who face a similar dilemma.

Nicholaus Mashauri from West Kilimanjaro is another such farmer. He calls on the government to review the ban for the well-being of farmers.

"My children are in private schools and my life depends on horticultural crops. So, with this tomato market trend I doubt if I will be able to pay school fees," he said.

"We struggled a lot to this stage of harvesting, but the market is ruining our dreams as farmers," he added.

Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Said Mecki Sadiki is aware of the challenge.

"I have seen with my eyes on how tomatoes are rotting in farms due to lack of market. It is a serious concern. As regional authorities, we're working on the challenge and come up with a solution," said Sadiki.

He also asks district councils to wake up and assists farmers by finding markets.

"It is high time we come up with markets' networks as well as encouraging investors to chip in and come up with tomato processing plants."

Similar scenarios have been seen in other tomato growing regions of Arusha, Morogoro, Iringa and Njombe.

Dr. Blandina Kilama, senior researcher at Tanzania's Policy Research for Development (REPOA), said that the adoption of the value chain can be a solution to the current dilemma facing farmers in the country, where agriculture contributes heavily to the GDP.

She said the current oversupply of tomatoes in the country should be seen in broader perspectives, noting that lack of accurate information on the market also needs to be addressed.

Source : XINHUA