Vegetables, particularly tomatoes are of great importance in human nutrition as they supply essential vitamins and minerals (which are necessary to maintain good health) to the diet, provide variety to the food and make food appetizing. Unfortunately, they are not only seasonal but highly perishable and deteriorate very fast few days after harvest, losing almost all their required quality attributes and some could likely result to total waste. It has been shown that as high as 45% of these produce are lost between rural production and town consumption in the tropical areas.
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the most widely grown vegetables in the world. Tomato has been in cultivation in Nigeria for a very long time. It is an important component of the daily diet, consumed both fresh and in paste form.
In Nigeria, an annual total area of one million hectares is reportedly used for its cultivation producing about 2.5 million tons at 25 ton per hectare while it makes up about 18 per cent of the average daily consumption of vegetables in Nigeria homes.
However, an alarming 45 per cent of tomatoes harvested in the country is lost due to poor Food Supply Chain (FSC) management; price instability resulting from seasonal fluctuation in production and the supply preference of farmers and middlemen for urban markets than processors due to low farm gate prices.
In order to control waste in the value chain, the article seeks to enlighten potential investors on the production of tomato flour in Nigeria.
One major means of preserving tomato fruit is by drying. Drying is one of the oldest techniques of preserving agricultural products. Drying as a process for food conservation and preservation seems to be an adequate method under most conditions in the developing economies.
The production process for tomato flour is simple and is state below
1. Dehydration
2. Milling
3. Packaging
The equipments required for production are dryer, grinder/ miller and packaging machine.
Tomato flour could be used instead of tomato sauce imported from abroad therfors hard currencies pound from importation could be gained
The product would be suitable for parties and occasions where large quantities of tomatoes would be required and packaging would be in PP / jute bags and different sizes of 2Kg, 5Kg, l0Kg, 25Kg and 50Kg packs can be produced to meet the differents needs of the market.
The market for tomato is national. With a population of over 160 million people and an estimated national population growth rate of 5.7% per annum ,an average economic growth rate of 3.5% per annum in the past five {5} years, Nigeria has a large market for tomato flour.
Tomato is important in our diets because it is rich in vitamins A and C and also fibre, and it is cholesterol free. Tomato fruit boasts of only 10 calories in every 42.28 grams.
On an average, the consumption of tomato in Nigeria is 10 grams per person per day. For 160 million people, the demand would be 1,600 tons per day or 584,000 tons per annum.
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You can order our detailed feasibility report on concentrated tomato paste re-packing to Tomato paste in sachets 28-30% in Nigeria by clicking on the link below.
Report Title: TOMATO PASTE RE-PACKAGING FROM TOMATOES PASTE DRUMS IN NIGERIA, THE FEASIBILITY REPORT.
Report Code: FORA/2014/TOMATOPASTEPACKINGINNIGERIA/238-00779934663
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