HortiNigeria secures 75% credit guarantee, ₦500m boost for tomato farmers
The Dutch-funded HortiNigeria programme has achieved a major policy milestone with the Federal Government’s approval of a 75 per cent Credit Risk Guarantee (CRG) for tomato crate financing — a move expected to unlock over ₦500 million in special intervention funding for Nigeria’s horticulture sector.
Mohamed Selassie Idris, Country Representative of the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) and Programme Director of HortiNigeria, disclosed this on Thursday during the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security (NCAFS) at Murtala Square, Kaduna.
He said the rise in CRG coverage from 30 to 75 per cent within a year would boost lender confidence, expand access to credit for agribusinesses, and significantly reduce post-harvest losses in the tomato value chain.
“We are happy to report that the Credit Risk Guarantee for the Tomato Plastic Crate Association, which was at 30 per cent, was raised to 50 per cent last year, and now, with NIRSAL’s support, it has reached 75 per cent,” Idris said. “This development will strengthen the supply chain and enable more farmers and crate producers to access financing.”
Read Also: MTN Foundation awards 368 Nigerian students with scholarships
He explained that the adoption of plastic crates remains central to cutting post-harvest losses in the tomato industry, noting that traditional raffia baskets often damage produce transported from the northern states to southern markets.
“Previously, farmers lost nearly half of their produce when transporting tomatoes from Kaduna or Kano to Lagos. The plastic crate system is changing that, and with increased funding, we expect even greater efficiency across the value chain,” he added.
Idris further revealed that a ₦500 million intervention fund, facilitated through NIRSAL, would support the expansion of plastic crate manufacturing and distribution to farmers in key tomato-producing states.
He said HortiNigeria’s collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the National Tomato Policy Committee is part of wider efforts to modernise Nigeria’s horticulture sector, strengthen food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
HortiNigeria — funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands — is implemented by a consortium led by IFDC in partnership with East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT), KIT Institute, and Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
