Tomato More Than Just A Crop — Research Fellow

Published in the New Nigerian Newspapers | SANI ALIYU, Zaria | June 30, 2026

A Research fellow of the Future Africa Research and Leadership (FAR-LeaF), Dr Ololade Latifat Abdulrahman, has said that tomato is more than just a crop; it is a major source of income, nutrition and employment for millions of people.

She made this known in her remarks at the Capacity Training Workshop on Climate Adaptation for Tomato Value Chain Actors in North West, held at NAERLS Ultra Modern Hall, Zaria.

She said it also offers great potential for the economy and industry. According to her, despite their significant roles, all tomato actors are increasingly confronted with climate variability, including erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and pest and disease outbreaks, resulting in substantial post-harvest losses. Dr Latifat said, " These challenges threaten not only agricultural productivity but also food security and household incomes.

"The tomato value chain is a complex system that involves multiple actors. These actors are all vulnerable to the impact of climate change, thereby affecting their livelihood.”

The research fellow added that it also promotes sustainable processing hubs, agribusiness growth and job creation.

“By strengthening climate adaptation across the value chain, we can build a more resilient and competitive tomato industry that supports food security and economic development. As a fellow researcher committed to climate-smart agriculture and sustainable rural livelihoods, I recognise that addressing these challenges requires a more resilient and competitive tomato industry that supports food security and economic development,” the fellow said.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of NAERLS, Prof Sañi Yusuf, advised participants to engage themselves fully to benefit from what the training Workshop is all about.

Represented by Engineer Aminu Fage, he said the workshop has come at the right time and will add value to the actor, increasing their production.

The capacity training is part of the broader research project titled “Climate Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity of Tomato Value Chain Actors”, which seeks to assess how climate change affects different actors along the tomato value chain and identify practical strategies that will strengthen their resilience, productivity and livelihoods.