AT A CROSSROAD: How tomato scarcity can be alleviated

What ails agriculture in dear motherland? After all since independence we have been fighting to have small-scale farmers who are the majority become financially independent.

There has been a mixed bag of success and failures.

If the farmers, who comprise the majority in Tanzania, are to get “rich” or have some level of selfsufficiency financially, it means they would be able to pay for the school fees and health of their families. Our economic dynamics as a nation thus can never ignore the farmer, so long we are talking about inclusive economic development.

I have posted in this column in the past that, innovation and adoption of technology along the agriculture value chains, could be what we need, for the majority to get “economic salvation.”

The other day, I read in our sister paper, Mwananchi, how the prices of tomatoes have skyrocketed in many parts of the country. I have personally witnessed that, and was shocked, when was asking the price of tomato, and told it was Sh250 for a single, small tomato! Why? This is because the crop could not withstand the recent heavy rain.

Tomato is one of the most important ingredients for cooking. It can be eaten raw but because of the cost most of the time it is taken as an ingredient in all kinds of dishes.

What if in all tomato-producing regions we had coolers that could store the crop for a year? It would have been a game changer. Sometimes back people from Kenya and other neighbouring countries, would travel deep in Tanzania just to buy the crop, which has high nutritional and commercial value.

Past research reports indicate Tanzania has been a net exporter of fresh tomatoes; unfortunately, we have been importing processed tomatoes. Tomato processing plants, for example in Iringa, are said to be underutilised. What could be wrong?

China is the world’s leading tomato producer. Other giant producers include the United States, Turkey, Italy, India and The Netherlands. You can guess why. It is because the crop is processed into products that are consumed daily. These are sauces, paste, ketchup, chutney, puree, jam, juice or squash, base of other sauces (chili, garlic, etc.). At the same time it provides medium for baked and canned beans, maize, carrots, green peas, among others. What does this portend? To me, it means a hugely successful commercial crop, if the right climatic and policy environment exists.

Regions like Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Mbeya, Morogoro, Iringa are some of the great areas for the crop. As a nation, we need to come together and see how its value chain can be enhanced for the betterment of farmers and for national good. It’s said, the demand for tomatoes worldwide is bigger than production. We have the land, the water and labour that can be used to make Tanzania the leading exporter of tomatoes and tomato products.

What remains is a question of will, a question of where do we want to be in the world market of tomatoes. With focus, with determination, with innovation and use of technology, we can be there- at the top, and overtake even China.

We should start with crafting ways of increasing production and quality of tomatoes. Our plant breeders should come up with varieties that will do well in each region. Then we need post-harvest strategy.