THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TOMATO CRISIS IN NIGERIA – CHIEF ERIC UMEOFIA
By Janice Johnson
Chief Eric Umeofia, the Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Limited has described as false the wild rumor that indigenous tomato manufacturers are responsible for the scarcity of fresh tomatoes and the high cost of the commodity currently been experienced in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists at the Erisco Foods premises in Oregun, Ikeja-Lagos, Chief Umeofia said naturally, this time of the year is the off-season for fresh tomatoes harvest in Nigeria. He however, also attributed the development to several reasons which include a disease caused by a parasitic moth known as “Tuta Absoluta” that attacked and killed most of the fresh tomatoes in the farms across the tomato-producing belt on the Northern states. He also said that the loss of over 75% of fresh tomatoes harvested last season by farmers also discouraged many tomato farmers from farming this year and the lack of drive of the relevant ministries to support local farmers and manufacturers.
Chief Umeofia said those in authority who are expected to give support to tomato farming and sufficiency as promised by Government, are only interested in supporting importation of substandard tomato paste for their personal gain. He said those in relevant ministries refused to support local farmers to switch to high yield and heat resistant tomato seed variety.
“We have been pleading with the past government to help us to stop the embarrassment and economic wastages by announcing an outright ban of tomato paste importation in the country so that we can produce and export tomato paste from Nigeria but none of them listened to what we were saying. Our company had plans about 5 years ago to change the face of tomato farming in Nigeria by introducing high yield and heat-resistant seeds. This would enable us to have tomato in abundance and we can process, package and export to other countries to boost our economy. But the government officials were rather open to foreign import cabals who derive joy in killing Nigerian economy for the development of their own country and destroying Nigerians’ health”.
Chief Eric Umeofia commended the present federal government on the removal of fuel subsidy whereby only few fuel import cabals were making billions of naira profit. He stressed the need for federal government to also place a total ban on the importation tomato paste and other food products which can be produced better locally. According to him, Nigeria was able to recover from the ban of cement and fruit juice in the past hence Nigerians need to bear some pain in the meantime in order to enjoy the benefits in future.
He reiterated the need for federal government to support indigenous manufacturers with low interest finance and long term loans with necessary forex to bring more machineries if Nigerian farmers must have returns on their investments like their foreign counterparts. He said Nigeria has been blessed with two tomato planting seasons in a year yet we continue to import from other countries which are not as blessed as Nigeria.
“Nigeria spends 1 billion dollars every year to import tomato paste that we can do better in this country. It is painful. My heart is bleeding that we are saying the truth but nobody wants to listen to us in this country. The country belongs to all of us and I must not be a governor or a minister to contribute my own quota. I am contributing my own quota from now and I cannot stay back and allow people with tenured office to come and destroy our country”.
Chief Eric Umeofia noted that the shortage of tomato being experienced in Nigeria currently, is good for the country as it will trigger high demand of the commodity and encourage people to begin to farm tomatoes. He appealed to the federal government and relevant authorities to give their undivided support to indigenous manufacturers like Erisco Foods Limited and other farmers in order to bring the situation under control and help Nigeria achieve the positive change that was promised by Buhari’s administration.
According to him, his major reason for being in the tomato paste business is not to make money, but to provide quality and healthy food for Nigerians and also to provide jobs for Nigerian youths. He pleaded with Nigerians to support and patronise made-in-Nigeria products in order to develop the economy, eradicate unemployment and also live healthy lives as most of the products being imported to Nigeria from other countries are substandard and hazardous to our health.
“We have great advantage when it comes to food in this country but we are wasting it and we keep saying there are no jobs. If we cannot put right something as simple as tomato paste in Nigeria, then we cannot achieve any other thing in this country. We are Nigerians and we cannot allow this country to fail especially under president Buhari’s administration. We have to begin to look inwards and stop looking for investors from outside who only come here to develop their own country’s economy and not ours.”
Chief Umeofia also extended an invitation to Nigerian ministers and relevant authorities to the Erisco Foods factory, which has over 450,000 metric tonnes per annum tomato paste plant, for a factory tour to confirm the capacity, determination and loyalty that the company has for Nigeria. He thanked THE NLC, TUC, SGF, Minister of State for Petroleum, Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Labour and Employment, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Power, CBN Governor and all Nigerians for their support and understanding of federal government policies. He urged Nigerians to continue to do more to re-position the country in line with President Buhari’s change agenda.
