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The Oyo State government plans to investigate possibilities within greenhouse technology to boost tomato cultivation in the region, according to Dr. Debo Akande, who serves as both the Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency and the Executive Advisor on Agribusiness for Governor Seyi Makinde.

Akande disclosed this on Friday when he visited Makinde as part of a Dutch delegation led by the Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for Nigeria, Mr. Michel Deelen.

As per Akande, the governor had previously issued directives for this initiative, with the objective of setting up approximately 50 greenhouses dedicated to tomato cultivation within the state. This effort seeks to support small-scale farmers who currently grow tomatoes in traditional open-field conditions.

The comments were part of a statement released on Friday by Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the Media Specialist advising the Oyo State Governor, and provided to reporters in Ibadan, which serves as the stateโ€™s capital.

The OYSADA DG mentioned that the Netherlands team was prepared to work alongside Oyo State in tomato farming. Additionally, he highlighted that the state had achieved notable progress within the agricultural sector, especially concerning cassava cultivation.

He went on to say that after Makinde’s recent journey to Ethiopia for his speech at the African Business Forum, the state has been concentrating on cultivating soybean crops. Additionally, he mentioned that the upcoming visit from the Dutch delegation will enable Oyo State to significantly increase its tomato cultivation efforts.

Akande stated, “This development might very well turn out to be the most significant event for our state in quite some time; particularly with how the agribusiness industry is transforming.”

What we currently have is that Oyo State is developing a varied supply chain, focusing significantly on cassava production, which we excel at. Additionally, we received instructions to begin work on soybeans following our discussions during the meeting in Ethiopia and the African Business Forum.

We are currently working on an expedited system for soybean modification. The upcoming challenge we’re addressing involves horticultural practices, specifically focusing on tomatoes.

Itโ€™s not like we havenโ€™t taken some actions regarding tomatoes, but clearly more needs to be done. Therefore, the Dutch governmentโ€™s visit to His Excellency offers an occasion for us to speed up and broaden our efforts concerning tomato cultivation.

We all remember what occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when there was an imbalance between demand and supply for tomatoes moving from the south to the north, and we aim to prevent such issues from recurring.

The second issue is that we consistently understand the fluctuation in tomato prices during specific seasons when they become extremely costly, followed by periods of surplus. This situation shouldnโ€™t occur at all. Tomatoes ought to be available throughout the year at fair prices.

Those who excel at growing tomatoes globally include the Israelis and the Dutch. Currently, our focus is on the Netherlands as we aim to learn from their methods, since they boast an extensive tomato yield.

What has been done here involves investing in greenhouses due to the varying temperatures in the region, which might range from cold to hot. We’ve proven the effectiveness of using greenhouses with assistance from a private firm operating out of the Oyo State Transformation Centre in Fasola.

โ€œThat company has produced tomatoes via greenhouse technology and it has been supplying to markets in the state but that is not enough. If we are talking about production for consumption within the state, we need to accelerate.

The collaboration with the Dutch government will enable us to speed up our progress. Thatโ€™s why the governor has provided clear instructions. He aims to have approximately 50 of these greenhouses cultivating tomatoes in our state, supporting the work that our small-scale farmers are already doing in traditional open fields.

The Dutch government plans to offer support, whereas the Oyo State government intends to maintain an conducive atmosphere and furnish the necessary amenities for this development to flourish.

Earlier, the Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Deelen, mentioned that the visiting delegation met with Governor Makinde as part of a trade mission. This delegation comprised roughly 15 Dutch firms focusing on sectors such as seeds, horticulture, and greenhouse technologies.

He mentioned that the purpose of the visit was to talk about the function of the government and find ways to work together with the Oyo State Government to enhance horticultural production.

He stated, “We invited individuals from Westland as well as others from the horticultural industry to share knowledge and discover ways we can collaboratively boost the production of horticultural goods in Oyo State.”

We sensed a significant demand in the South-West region, extending beyond just Ibadan or Lagos. Lagos lacks the available land area for this production, whereas Oyo State possesses sufficient space.

The average person on the street may derive various benefits from this partnership if they have an interest in gardening or seeking employment in that field, as it also involves generating jobs.

On the contrary, if an ordinary individual on the streets is considered a consumer, they would notice that the quality of tomatoes and various agricultural produce in the markets improves, making this enhancement quite apparent.

Inge Tenniglo, who serves as the Agricultural Counselor at the Consulate-General Office, mentioned that the Dutch government expressed their readiness to work alongside Nigeria to improve both the quality and quantity of tomato production.

Similarly, Senior Manager for International and Economic Affairs, Ima Meijer, highlighted that the Dutch government supports sustainable food production and views greenhouse technology as a crucial method to accomplish this objective.

Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).


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