The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has distributed 100 million improved tomato seeds to vegetable farmers in Ogun state to support the 2021 planting season.
The Director-General, RMRDC, Prof. Dikko Ibrahim, disclosed this during the public presentation of the tomato seeds to the farmers at the premises Ogun State Agriculture Development Programme (OGADEP) in Abeokuta.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Customs service, according to the DG, indicates that Nigeria spent N141.08 billion on the importation of tomatoes and tomatoes products to the country between 2010 to 2015.
He said the situation made the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to develop the tomato policy to drive its economic growth recovery plan.
The DG, who was represented by the Coordinator, RMRDC Ogun state council, Kayode Abiola, said the gesture of 100 million improved tomato seeds was anchored on the request of the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, targeted at improving yields of Ogun state vegetable farmers.
He said the tomato distribution project had visited 15 states and had added over 150,000 metric tonnes of processing grade to the national output.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the tomato seeds, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, said the gesture would help the already listed 3,000 vegetable farmers within the state.
Commending the state government, one of the beneficiaries, Ade Daniel, described the gesture as a promise kept by the Ogun state government.
According to the council’s record, the high yielding tomato seed would produce at least 200 tomato fruits from one seed in a season, making a total number of 200,000,000 fruits from the 100 million seeds.
