Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has announced plans to rejuvenate the state’s tomato factory, located along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.
During an unscheduled visit to the factory, Governor Zulum detailed his strategy to restore the facility to full operation. He directed that the existing infrastructure be upgraded and modernized to improve operational efficiency.
To tackle the challenge of insufficient raw materials, the state has already established a 5-hectare drip-irrigated tomato farm, with plans to expand it to 100 hectares.
“My primary goal is to resuscitate the Borno industrial park’s tomato paste factory. The main issue has been the lack of raw materials. To solve this, we are implementing a robust drip irrigation system using net houses to produce tomatoes. We are working under a public-private partnership to establish at least 100 hectares of tomato plantations,” Governor Zulum said.
He noted that the initial 5 hectares are expected to yield about 60 tons of tomatoes per hectare. Once expanded to 100 hectares, the total production is anticipated to reach approximately 6,000 tons.
In related news, Governor Zulum recently visited the NEITEL Shoe and Tannery Factory to assess its progress. Revived through a public-private partnership, this factory is currently operating at approximately 70% capacity.
