How To Start A Lucrative Tomato Farming Business In Nigeria (Comprehensive Guide + eBook)

How To Start A Lucrative Tomato Farming Business
Tomato farming has long been overlooked by many Nigerians who choose to venture into agriculture for the first time. This somewhat ignored vegetable crop has remained a constant ingredient for the preparation of multiple meals in the country. This generally implies that the average Nigerian can’t consciously go a day without eating a meal prepared with tomatoes.
In spite of it’s ignored state by new farmers, this vegetable crop is currently grown by over 200,000 farmers in Nigeria, whom collectively grow over 1.5 million metric tonnes of tomatoes every year.
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See Also: How To Start A Profitable Cassava Farm
What Are The Demand Estimates For Tomato Products?
Despite the population of tomato farmers and the volume grown yearly, about half of the harvests are lost to spoilage and several other factors before they get to the market. Even if the lot gets successfully supplied (which is highly unlikely), the domestic demand for tomatoes in Nigeria extremely exceeds the supply with over 2 million metric tonnes of the vegetable crop demanded yearly. This unsatiable demand makes Nigeria supplement the tomato supply by importing about 300,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes worth over $360 million dollars yearly.
With Nigeria’s population at 170 million, and expected to reach or surpass 400 million by the year 2050, the potential of tomato farming as a profitable agricultural business for millions to venture into cannot be overestimated.
What Part Of Tomato Farming Can You Play A Part In?
Just as every other agricultural business idea, there are several parts any new or existing farmer can play a role in. Here are two in tomato farming:
1). Tomato Production:

Image Source: frompattyspantry.com
This involves the use of a farmland to grow tomato crops. This usually encompasses tomato seeds, an irrigation channel, tomato nurseries, adequate fertiliser, and a good technical know-how of starting and growing a tomato plantation.
It’s not entirely compulsory that you start out on a standard farmland. Tomato crops can grow even in your backyard. Taking off from there would be a good place to start. As you confidently realise you can really pull through running a tomato farm on a large scale, you can then proceed to setup a standard tomato farm.
2) Tomato Processing:
After tomatoes are grown and sold by farmers to end users, some buyers take the purchased tomato further, by creating by-products from this crop.
Tomato processing largely involves converting the farm product into other forms. E.g tomato pastes, ketchup, etc.
See Also: How To Access And Get Agric Loans In Nigeria
How Do You Setup A Tomato Farm?
To setup a working tomato farm, you’d need a variety of conditions and resources to both be met and acquired. These are:
1). A Farmland:
You’d need a wide area to grow your crops. Whether you’re starting out of your backyard or not, having a dedicated piece of land groomed specifically for growing your tomato crops is the first and most important thing.
2). Tomato Seeds:
Having the right breed of tomato seeds is important to the success of your tomato farm. Whether it’s roma tomatoes (the most common and widely sold tomato breed in Nigeria), cherry tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes or even more, identifying and purchasing the seeds for the right breed is important to your farm’s success.
The tomato seeds are best grown indoors first, then transferred to beds when they have an established root system and a few leaves. This is important because they need a constant temperature of at least 60 degrees and preferably 80 degrees to germinate.
3). A Good Irrigation System:
Your crops would need to be grown in a highly regulated watered environment. Dry lands mostly never grow crops, and with various factors like timing, genetics, environment, water supply, and more to be considered, a good irrigation system must be in place to ensure your tomato crops stay health.
4). Fertilizer:
Not all farmlands are suitable to grow tomato crops. For some, you need to constantly fertilise the soil to achieve optimum growth. Using the right fertilizer on your farmlands to aid your tomato crop growth is important to the crop’s full and healthy maturity.
So How Do You Sell Your Tomato Farm Products?
You can find an article on how to sell your tomato farm products here.
The Key Advantage Of Tomato Farming
The insatiable demand from Africans for tomato products is the ultimate advantage of venturing into tomato farming. With the demand far exceeding the available supply coupled with imported supplements, tomato farming done on a large scale would not only reap tremendous returns for the farmers, but would also guarantee their crops are sold out quickly.
What Are The Risks Involved In Tomato Farming?
- Potential risks ranging from rodent, insects, pests, birds, and more attacks on your crops could lead to terrible losses.
- The startup cost for running a large scale tomato farm, or tomato processing plant is extremely high. Not treating such an investment with care could not only lead to a heavy loss, but could tank an individual’s financial status all together.
See Also: 5 Profitable Agricultural Businesses You Can Start In Nigeria Today
Tomato farming is a lucrative agricultural business opportunity if carried out on a large scale. While several perks may haunt this venture, the advantages far outweigh the risks.
I Want To Start Or Learn Tomato Farming Like A Professional. Is There A Book With A Comprehensive Step By Step Guide?
This e-book is perfect for beginners, as it will take you from a novice to a tomato farming professional, and help you either make money by starting your own tomato farming business, or by becoming a tomato farming consultant.
You can follow the link below to learn more and purchase one for yourself.

Tomato Farming Business Plan eBook
Offer: A Professional Tomato Farming Business E-Book
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Book Format: E-Book
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What are your thoughts on tomato farming? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Image Source: www.greenhealthyfarm.com
Thank you for this wonderful piece… Very informative
Please i am more interested in tomato paste production… Could you please share with me how to go about such venture?
Warm regards,
Austin
Hi Austin,
I’ll post a future article sometime later detailing how to go into tomato paste production itself.
Please subscribe to the mailing list, so you can get first-hand information when it’s posted on the blog.
Thank you for your comment.
Good morning. a very informative piece. please can I also get the post on tomato paste production itself.
Thank you.
Hi Abimbola,
There’s no article on that on the blog yet.
When there is, we’ll do well to let everyone know.
Thank you for asking.
Informative…
Thanks for the commendation David.
very nice atticle,iam interested in tomatoe and onioin farming in Nigeria, i need some advice from you
thnks
Hi Mike,
Overtime, we’ll publish a series of agricultural e-books on all farming methods.
Do stay on the lookout.
But a snail farming and a plastic recycling e-book should be available next week.
Thank you for asking.
Good information you have provided well done as I am very interested in kick starting a tomato farm on 6plots of land. I need a feasibility study can we discuss more
We can prepare you a standard business plan with the feasibility study.
Do send an email to stanley.edom@startuptipsdaily.com
Thank you for asking Omololu.
Thanks, I appreciate this information, I take on, by God’s grace from my yard.
I’m glad you found value in the article Yemi.
Wish you success in your new venture.
Stan Edom,you the best, may God reward you for these.
Thank you for the kind words Joe.
God bless you too.
Thanks for this post. I am presently into tomato farming and my tomato is actually producing nut suddenly it started going yellow and withering
What can I dO? Also, is there any farm cooperative I can join? God bless you.
Hi Kayjay,
There’d be a tomato farming eBook available on the website soon.
Do lookout for it.
Thank you for asking.
I am most encouraged by your article on tomato production. I am seriously considering tomato production on medium to large scale but would require a lot more information.
I intend to start as early as next year during the planting season. However, I would love to meet with you in person as there are some burning issues I would like to discuss with one as knowledgeable as yourself in this venture.
Thank you for the kind words Longe.
You can reach me via email at stanley.edom@startuptipsdaily.com
Also, a tomato farming eBook would soon be available for purchase on the blog.
Do lookout for it.
Thank you for asking.
Highly insightful! Really looking forward to reading your future posts on this as you have promised to share.
Thank you for the commendation Ifedolapo.
Pending more tomato farming articles, a tomato farming eBook would soon be available for order on the website.
Do lookout for it while you have a great time!
Nice info. I am interested in tomatoes paste
hi Stan thanks for this avenue you have created.I am a youth Corper from IMO state.I have an oil mill but need capital to expand the production of palm oil,I am serving in the north already and I have seen the market viability of the palm oil biz.please can I get advice on how to go about this,thinking of loan of around 300 thousand
Hi Nnaemeka,
I’d advice you approach the bank of industry for a loan. They’re currently aiding agricultural startups.
Pay a visit to the nearest office in the state you want to start up in and find out their requirements.
Thank you.
Good day,your article is quite educative especially for people like me who are looking forward to going into farming soon.please tell me approximately how many acres of land do I need for a commercial tomato farm,how do I get the seeds for planting.
Hi Abem,
The size of the farmland you choose to use can differ.
But if you must decide, anywhere from one acre and above can work, depending on the scale of your farm.
You can also purchase your seeds in some local tomato farms or markets close to large farms.
Thank you for asking.
assuming u plant tomato at large scale any link to sale it .if there is call 07050238692
It was really helpful….I want to know if it’s possible to start a tomato farm on one plot of land (for commercial purposes ) , and also how to go about the nursery
Hi Angel,
Yes, you can. But the margins would be very low.
Thank you for asking.
your article is quite educative.
How can I get feasibility studies on tomatoes farming?
Hi Kolawole,
Please send an email to stanley.edom@startuptipsdaily.com
Thank you for asking.
Sir thanks very much for this article.
I need a feasibility study on tomatoes farming.
Thank you for the comment, Kenneth.
Please send an email to stanley.edom@startuptipsdaily.com
How can we preserve tomatoes? Presently am working on a Project that will preserve tomatoes for at least 5 months as we all know spoilage of tomatoes is a globa challenge and at the same time contribute to a lot of Loss on the part of the farmers. I don’t know if you will be interested about that. I love it if we can work together Sir.
Hi Oseni,
Do send me more details about the project to stanley.edom@startuptipsdaily.com.
Have a great time.
Good morning sir,
Please is your book on tomatoes production and processing out yet?
Thanks for all you do here, may God bless you much more.
Hi Haadi,
Only the tomato farming book is available for purchase.
Thank you.