How to succeed as a tomato farmer

Tomato is consumed everywhere in Nigeria. Being a country of about 200 million people, Nigeria has a large market for tomatoes.

The market is so large that local tomato farmers are unable to meet the demand. The government spends over N12bn annually on its imports.

This is a very good sign for you to start thinking of growing a tomato farm.

Tomatoes can grow almost anywhere in Nigeria; you don’t have to go far.

In addition to open plots of farmlands that abound in Nigeria, there are provisions for growing tomatoes right on your compound.

One of the methods is a technology known as Greenhouse Technology, promoted in Nigeria by Dizengoff, an agricultural and equipment conglomerate.

With Greenhouse technology, you can plant tomatoes anywhere, all through the year. It is clean and very chic for working-class people who do not want to get their hands dirty.

According to the Chief Executive Officer and Country Manager, Dizengoff Nigeria, Anti Ritvonen, return on investment with GHT is in 18 months.

Investment in tomatoes

Tomato is a crop that guarantees double rate of return on investment. In other words, if you invest N2m, you can make N4m.

It takes between 40 and 50 days for fruits to appear after planting tomatoes, so you are looking at a quick income. But don’t just rush in and invest without learning the ropes first. As easy as it is to make, you can also lose money fast.

Preparing the soil

To succeed as a tomato farmer, you need to be educated because there are some technical terms you need to understand.

Take a look at the following instruction on tiling the soil given by www.wikihow.com;

“When it comes to starting a tomato garden, preparing the soil properly is the key to growing healthy plants that produce juicy, tasty tomatoes. Start by tilling the spot you choose to place your garden. Then, check the nutrient content and pH levels of the soil by testing it so you can add compost and the necessary fertilizers to create the optimal growing medium for your plants.

“After you’ve amended the soil’s nutrient content, you can plant your tomatoes by spacing them out properly, driving stakes to help support them and watering them to help them settle into the soil.”

There are lots of technical terms involved in just tiling the soil. Get some training or get a knowledgeable person to be with you when you are doing this.

The website advises that you must know the pH levels of your soil.

It said, “Tomatoes grow best in slightly acidic soil, with the optimum pH levels being between 6.2 and 6.8. Soil that falls below 6.0 is too acidic for tomato plants to thrive.

“An even balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is necessary for your tomato plants to produce lots of healthy fruits. Too much of one nutrient can affect the health of your tomato plants.”

While choosing a location for planting your tomatoes, choose where sunlight can stream in.  Avoid placing your tomato garden next to a building or under a tree that could block sunlight for parts of the day.

• Look for an area that has decent drain and doesn’t flood every time it rains.

Dig about eight to 10 inches down into the soil. Use a shovel to dig up the dirt. Dig deep enough to remove grasses or plants and their root systems from the top of the soil.

Also, remove rocks, broken bottles or other debris you see in the soil.

Tomatoes are best planted in loamy or sandy soil. Use your hand or shovel to break congealed soil and loosen it.

• Wait until the ground is dry before you start digging.

According to www.wealthresult.com, adding organic matter in the form of compost and aged manure, or using mulch or growing cover crops (green manures), is the best way to prepare soil for planting.

Keep the soil covered with black plastic bags until you are ready to plant.

A couple of weeks before you plant your tomatoes, you can start getting the soil temperature to heat up so there is less of a shock to the plants when you put them in the soil.

Place a layer of black plastic over the tilled dirt so it can absorb the heat from the sun and warm up the ground. Remove the black plastic when you are ready to plant your tomato plants.

• Anchor the black plastic at the corners with rocks, bricks, or any other object heavy enough to keep it held in place.