The Bank of Industry has started a technical training in Kano for over 300 youths in tomato processing and packaging.
The Project Consultant, Mr Duro Kuteyi, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday that the project was aimed at expanding the people’s capacity in tomato processing and packaging.
He said that due to the fact that tomato was a seasonal crop, the youths would receive training in the three-day programme on ways of processing tomato and curbing its wastage.
“My organisation, Betamark Production Company, came up with a concept that is aimed at training every Nigerian on how to process tomato, even in their kitchens,’’ he said.
Kuteyi noted that most tomato farmers in the country had been complaining about the dearth of processing facilities and the attendant post-harvest losses.
The consultant said that at the end of the training, the 300 participants, who were drawn from 15 clusters or cooperative groups, would have acquired practical skills in tomato processing and packaging.
Another consultant, Malam Jamil Abdussalam of Hajaj Fresh Ltd., made a presentation on how to draw up feasible business plans and marketing strategies.
One of the consultants, Malam Ansari Imam, spoke on the best time to procure fresh tomatoes and where to get them.
Some of the beneficiaries of the training expressed delight for partaking in the training.
Hajiya Sadika Musa, a member of Nasara Women Farmers Association, said that she was particularly happy about the turnout of young women for the training.
She opined that after the training, women would be in a position to dominate tomato farming, as well as its processing and packaging activities.
Another participant, Alhaji Kabiru Gaya, commended the Bank of Industry for organising the technical training in Kano, saying that it would benefit a lot of unemployed youths in the neighbourhood. (NAN)
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