Dr Huseni Ibrahim, the Director-General of the
council, who presented the seeds to Gov. Darius
Ishaku in Jalingo on Saturday, said that the venture
was aimed at boosting tomato cultivation in the state.
Ibrahim was represented by Dr Sunday Onjewu,
while the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr David
Kassa, represented the governor at the event.
Ibrahim, who said that PresidentMuhammadu
Buhari’s administration intended to transform the
nation’s economy via agriculture, urged the farmers
to take due advantage of the current opportunity to
turn around their fortunes.
``I urge all of you to take advantage of this
opportunity to improve your standard of living and
boost the country's economy with massive
production of tomato.
``The move is to check the huge importation of
tomato into the country and strengthen the Naira for
economic growth,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said that the council would monitor the
cultivation and distribution of the seeds so as to
ensure that the beneficiaries of the intervention were
genuine tomato farmers.
Also Speaking, Dr Asanga Enefiol, the Director of
RMRDC’s States Coordination Department, appealed
to the state government to set up small tomato
processing plants that would utilise the anticipated
tomato yields.
Enefiol, who was represented by Alhaji Wali Lapai,
said that the council selected Plateau, Taraba and
Nassarawa State for the tomato project because of
their great potential for tomato production.
In a remark, Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmed, the RMRDC
Coordinator in Taraba, urged the state government to
revive the Lau Tomato Processing Company to check
perennial wastage in tomato harvests.
Receiving the seeds, Ishaku commended the RMRDC
for the tomato project, saying that it was in line with
his administration's ``Greenhouse Farming
Initiative’’.
He pledged to ensure the judicious use of the
improved tomato seeds so as boost tomato
production in the state.
The governor thanked the council for facilitating the
fulfilment his administration’s policy of creating
platforms for employment generation in the state.
- Pluse Nigeria