OCP Africa, Syngenta foundation deepen partnership for improved tomato production

OCP Africa, a global leading company in the production and exportation of phosphate-based fertilisers has deepened its partnership with Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), to ensure Nigerians are food secure by enhancing Tomato production techniques and creating a viable and sustainable business model and linkages around the value chain.

The partnership which is in its second year has helped to address constraints that hamper the improvement in yields of Tomato farmers in Nigeria’s agricultural sector and improve agricultural productivity and standardisation of outputs.

Very specifically, the project is focused on the establishment of Greenhouses and Input Hubs across Tomatoes farming locations for easy access to consistent and quality seedlings, access to modern agricultural technologies, customised training, and guided practices to guarantee the uniform outcome of produce that will feed identified, commercial processors.

Akintunde Akinwande, OCP Africa’s Head of Business Development and Digital projects disclosed this at the 2021 Onboarding and Training workshop held in Kano for the Hub Managers and Extension Agents also known as Agripromoters.

Akinwande said so far, 20 Greenhouses have been established across major Tomato production areas in Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Abuja, with over 20,000 farmers accessing quality seedlings and inputs as well as good agricultural practice training on modern production techniques as well as linkages to offtake markets and processors.

At the workshop, the newly recruited Agripromoters and Hub managers were trained on modern Vegetable nursery establishment and management, good agronomy practices of horticulture, retail business and basic inventory management, and on the usage of digital work tools for data capturing and management. 10 motorcycles and electronic tablets, as well as branded materials, were presented at the workshop to the Agripromoters to support their mobility and data capturing as they perform their Agricultural extension functions.

Akinwande said the two organisations entered the partnership to leverage their capacities and experience to address challenges that hamper the improvement and consistency in quality of farm yields and two years down the line, he is happy to say their objectives are gradually being achieved thus presenting proof of concept for future expansion to new areas.

Read the complete article at Tribune Online.