Our Impact
We empower smallholder farmers to achieve yields 10 times above the Nigerian national average, shifting them from subsistence growers to commercial producers and elevating them to the middle class.
Investing in the success of our partner farmers enables us to build a sustainable supply chain for our retail products and drive impact at every stage of the value chain.
Tomato Jos has improved the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their Families
We have been able to do this by increasing access to resources and market connections and providing them with a reliable, long-term market.
As an agro-processing company that sources from local smallholder farmers, we provide affordable access to finance in the form of farming inputs to farmers by increasing access to resources and market connections and providing them with a reliable, long-term market.
We developed a multi-year comprehensive program that empowers farmers to make long-term, sustainable
YieldImprovements
Dramatically improving tomato yields is the only way to make processing financially viable (and globally competitive) in Nigeria. When it comes to yield, seed genetics are just the tip of the iceberg: it’s NOT ENOUGH to simply use improved seeds.
In order to truly move the needle, the entire farming process has to be changed: nursery operations, land preparation, irrigation, crop rotation, fertilizer usage and so much more.
The Process
- An understanding of how contract farming works
- The value of working in groups
- Basic concepts in planting, fertilization, and integrated pest management (IPM)
- Basic concepts in irrigation, labor-management and record-keeping
- Intermediate concepts in planting, fertilization, and IPM
- Basic concepts in ground preparation and unit economics
- Intermediate concepts in irrigation, labor management, and record keeping
- Advanced concepts in planting, fertilization, and IPM
Stories from the
Farmlands
Smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria are extremely underserved. At Tomato Jos, we empower them to be globally
competitive by providing access to a wide variety of support and services.
Aisha Mohammed
Aisha has used the money earned through the program to pay for her children’s school fees, start a business to diversify her income, and build a new house.
- No farming or work experience prior to Tomato Jos
- Joined TJ smallholder farm school in June 2018
- Has gained skills in fertilizer application, integrated pest management, planting, and weeding
- Able to grow maize at yields of 8+ MT/Ha as a smallholder model farmer
- Able to grow tomatoes at yields of 60+ MT/Ha in the smallholder farm school
- Enjoys profit margins above 30% in both crops
Alhaji Maiwada
Poised for success as a smallholder model farmer.
- Farmed maize and vegetables prior to working with Tomato Jos
- Joined the Tomato Jos smallholder farm school in October 2017
- Graduated to the smallholder model farm program in September 2019
- Has gained skills in irrigation and labor management, fertilizer application, record keeping, integrated pest management, planting, and weeding
- Able to grow maize at yields of 7+ MT/Ha as a smallholder model farmer
- Able to grow tomatoes at yields of 22 MT/Ha as a smallholder model farmer
Our alignment
with the Sustainable Development Goals
We deploy our creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in every context of our work.
Partnerships with state and federal governments, NGOs & private entities support ongoing research, financing, & training for farmers and staff alike.
Our seed research, efficient farming practices & partnerships has increased yields significantly reducing amount of land needed.
Our company believes in local production for local consumption and supports a circular economy that reuses waste products from the farm.
By operating in northern Nigeria and specifically targeting women farmers, we address and reduce both gender- and regional-based inequality.
We hire labor from our catchment communities, bringing jobs with fair wages to hundreds of families in a region with no large-scale employers.
Solar-powered processing and drip irrigation farms make us the only firm in Nigeria to incorporate sustainable practices across the full value chain.
Our farmers grow highly nutritious crops, using sustainable agricultural practices, in order to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on importation.
Farmers receive high-quality education on financial literacy in addition to farming – TJ is often their first exposure to formal education.
We are a female-owned company that promotes women from our local community to serve as growers, as employees, and in management.
Our farmers develop the skills and knowledge to shift from a subsistence to a commercial mindset, becoming “agriprenuers” in the community.