Dangote is reopening Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant

Dangote is reopening Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant

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• Seven months after shut down, Dangote Farms is reopening its tomato processing plant.
• Owned by Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, the farm is dubbed Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant, launched to cut paste importation from China and make Africa sufficient in local production.
• Abdulkarim Kaita, Dangote Farms MD, says the company has recruited skilled and casual workers ahead of its production resumption.

               
           
               
                   

AAfrica's wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote's tomato processing plant, is set to reopen operations, about seven months after shutting down due to lack of materials.

               
           
               
                   

In September 2019, the company said it lost N30 million monthly due to workers' idleness, as farmers picked other crops during the rainy season.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Aliko Dangote (Bloomberg)

               

               
           
               
                   

Located in Kadawa, outskirts of the northern city of Kano, Dangote Farms is dubbed Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant. It was launched in March 2016 to cut paste importation from China and make Africa's populous sufficient in local production.

               
           
               
                   

Since then, the factory continues to face insufficient materials and price disputes with farmers. These actions have also led to frequent shutdowns.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Dangote Tomato Processing Company

               

               
           
               
                   

Dangote tomato plant to resume on a small scale

               
           
               
                   

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alhaji Abdulkarim Kaita, Dangote Farms Managing Director, said the company had concluded necessary preparations for the commencement of operations.

               
           
               
                   

Kaita said the company has recruited “no fewer than 100 skilled and casual workers ahead of its production resumption. “

               
           
               
                   

“...We are prepared to run the company for 24 hours daily,” he added. “The company also announced that it would officially resume production on Feb. 7, after suspending operations in April 2019, due to inadequate supply of raw materials,” according to NAN report.

               
           
               
                   

He said the company had started buying the product from farmers who were registered under the CBN's Anchor Borrower programme.

               
           
               
                   

The company is still expecting the government to enforce restriction policy on tomato paste importation into the country to improve local processing.

Source: Dangote is reopening Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant

- gist culled from pulseng