Challenges and Opportunities for MSMEs

in the Vegetable Value Chain in Ebonyi State:

—Results from a Rapid Reconnaissance Exercise—
Dr. Robert Ugochukwu Onyeneke1, Mark Umunna Amadi1 and Chukwuemeka
Chinonso Emenekwe1 Ayala Wineman2 and Lenis, Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie2

1Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

2Michigan State University, East Lansing Michigan

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2
2. Methods ............................................................................................................................ 5
3. Experiences of the MSMEs along the Tomato and Green Leafy Vegetable Value
Chains ....................................................................................................................................... 7
3.1. Producers ................................................................................................................... 7
3.2. Input Suppliers ............................................................................................................ 8
3.3. Wholesalers (Traders)................................................................................................10
3.4. Third-Party Logistics Providers...................................................................................12
3.5. Retailers .....................................................................................................................13
4. Cross-Cutting Issues: Environment, Food Safety and Gender ......................................14
4.1. Environment ..............................................................................................................14
4.2. Food Safety ...............................................................................................................14
4.3. Gender ......................................................................................................................15
5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................15
1. Introduction
Motivation
Agri-food value chains have grown rapidly in recent decades, a transformation fueled
by the aggregate investment of many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in
the midstream and downstream of these value chains, comprising the wholesale,
logistics, processing, and retail segments. These MSMEs are instrumental in Nigeria’s food
supply, together determining the availability, affordability, and safety of nutritious foods
like fish and vegetables. At the same time, they face significant challenges that can
impede their operations, growth, and productivity. Furthermore, limited attention in
research and policy has been paid to MSMEs in the midstream and downstream
segments of value chains. The RSM2SNF project aims to fill this gap by working with MSMEs
along the value chains for fish, tomatoes, and green leafy vegetables to understand the
structure, conduct, and performance of these value chains and ultimately to support
MSMEs to provide affordable, safe, and nutritious foods.
Objectives
We conducted a “lay of the land” or rapid reconnaissance study for the tomato and
green leafy vegetable (GLV) value chains in Ebonyi State. Our objectives were:
1) to understand the structure of the value chain and how actors at different nodes
are related to one another;
2) to understand what stakeholders perceive to be the key challenges and
opportunities in the vegetable subsector;
3) to understand how patterns vary according to the scale of the enterprise; and
4) to develop insights that will inform the design of a micro-level survey instrument for
a “stacked survey” of the vegetable value chain.
Brief description of the vegetable subsector in Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State is located in southeastern Nigeria. It lies between latitudes 5°40′ and 6°45′
north of the equator and longitudes 7°30′and 8°46′ east of the Greenwich Meridien
(Figure 1). The state belongs to the tropical rainforest agroecological zone with an
average temperature, precipitation and relative humidity of 31.32°C, 1766.86 mm, and
77.74, respectively (Onyeneke et al., 2022). The state has an estimated population of
3,221,745 in 2020 (NBS, 2018), and most of the residents are involved in agriculture,
especially crop production.
In 2020, about 6,785,753 metric tons (MT) of vegetables were produced in Nigeria
(FAOSTAT, 2022), whereas tomato production was about 3,294,200 MT (NAERLS & FMARD,
2020). In 2020, tomato production in Ebonyi State was 55,360 MT, accounting for about
1.7% of the national tomato production. Tomato production in Ebonyi State has
increased from 2016 to 2020 (see Figure 2). However, it seems this increase resulted from

2
changes in the cultivated area rather than productivity improvements (yield) (see Figure
2). Tomato supply has continued to lag behind demand, with the deficit narrowing in
2020 (21.9%) relative to the 59.31% level of 2016 (see Figure 2). The World Health
Organization (WHO) recommends a dietary consumption of a minimum of 400 grams of
fruit and vegetables daily (WHO and FAO, 2003), for which the vegetable part of
consumption should account for 150 – 225 grams of daily diet (Mason-D’Croz et al., 2019).
Tomato consumption values for Nigeria are far lower than this value (Table 1), though it
should be noted that tomatoes comprise only part of Nigerians’ vegetable consumption.
There is potential for high returns from vegetable production in Ebonyi State, especially in
Ebonyi-North agricultural zone (Osuji et al., 2022). However, to ensure sufficient
production of vegetables, there must be improvement along the entire value chain from
production to processing, marketing, and consumption (FAO, 2020).
This reconnaissance exercise provides information on the background, trends,
challenges, and prospects for the vegetable value chain in Ebonyi State. The purpose of
the survey is to support a study that will proffer precise solutions and inclusive
interventions.
The survey reveals that the vegetable value chain in Ebonyi State comprises nano-,
micro- and small-scale enterprises, with the majority at the nano and micro scale. There
is a gap in processing with a significant challenge in storage and product handling
practices. Tomato remains a highly demanded produce, but environmental issues
challenge its production. However, technological know-how to adapt is well-recorded
within the State. There are strong indications of market organization within the green leafy
vegetable (GLV) market to control the quantity and the price of vegetables (especially
fluted pumpkin leaves). Food safety handling practices of the vegetable marketers are
poor. In terms of gender, women dominate one of the most essential nodes (marketers)
in the vegetable value chain of Ebonyi State.
The rest of the report is structured as follows. Section 2 discusses the data collection and
analysis methods in the report. Section 3 presents a synthesis of the experiences of
participants in the vegetable value chain in Ebonyi State across each node. Section 4
presents a discussion of cross-cutting issues, including gender, environment, and food
safety. Section 5 concludes with a summary of the survey findings.

(a) Ebonyi State (b) Study sites within Ebonyi State*

3
Figure 1. Map of Ebonyi State showing the areas covered
*Source: Authors' graphic based on Onyeneke et al. (2021).

Figure 2. Tomato production and consumption statistics for Ebonyi State

Source: Authors’ compilation based on data from the Agricultural Performance Survey of Annual Wet
Season in Nigeria (NAERLS & FMARD, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

Table 1. Tomato demand and supply for Ebonyi State

4
 Per Capita Tomato
Projected
Tomato Estimated Tomato Production in Tomato Supply
Year Population
Consumption Demand (tons) Ebonyi State Deficit (tons)***
(persons)*
(kg/year)** (tons)
2016 2,880,383 22 63,368 25,780 37,588
2017 2,962,173 22 65,168 32,910 32,258
2018 3,046,286 22 67,018 39,220 27,798
2019 3,132,788 22 68,921 54,090 14,831
2020 3,221,745 22 70,878 55,360 15,518
Sources: Authors’ compilation
* Demographic Statistic Bulletin (NBS, 2018)
** Demand for tomato in Nigeria (PWC, 2018). Note that this estimate of demand in Ebonyi State assumes that
residents of the state consume the average value for all of Nigeria.
***Agricultural Performance Survey of Annual Wet Season in Nigeria (NAERLS & FMARD, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

2. Methods
This rapid reconnaissance survey entailed identifying the actors or nodes in the tomato
and GLV value chain, followed by field visits to capture the modalities and routine
organization of enterprises all along the value chain. For this purpose, key informants in
the tomato and GLV value chain were contacted directly or indirectly through their
unions or market associations. The field visits ensured that a tomato or GLV business is
actively involved in the value chain irrespective of the scale of the business enterprise
(nano, micro, small and medium). The key informant at each node was the business
owner or the operational manager of the enterprise.
The survey was done by interviewing some key informants in each node of the tomato
and GLV value chain in Ebonyi State. Field visits were conducted by targeting (where
applicable) key informants from major vegetable markets in the state and also tracking
the vegetable farmers through the marketers. Information on the activities of the
enterprises was obtained from the key informants through observations and interactions
using semi-structured interviews.
The nodes identified within the tomato and GLV value chains of Ebonyi State are:
▪ Vegetable producers (Tomato and GLV farmers);
▪ Vegetable wholesalers (Tomato and GLV wholesalers);
▪ Vegetable retailers (Tomato and GLV retailers);
▪ Input suppliers (seeds/agrochemicals/fertilizer); and
▪ Vegetable transporters.
Though vegetable processors were considered, the team could not find vegetable
processors for interview. Table 2 shows the distribution of key informants according to
value chain nodes and enterprise scale. Figure 3 shows the percentage distribution of

5
the key informants according to the scale of enterprise across the identified nodes of the
vegetable value chain in Ebonyi State.

Table 2. Distribution of the vegetable value chain key informants (number of interviews)
Scale Nano Micro Small Total
Production 0 4 1 5
Marketing 22 6 0 28
Input supplier 1 11 0 12
Transporter 2 1 0 3
Nano Micro Small
Vegetable Value Chain Node

Transporter 67% 33%

Input Supplier 8% 92%

Marketing 79% 21%

Production 80% 20%

Proportion of Business Scale in the Value Chain Node

Figure 1. Vegetable value chain and the proportion of business scales in Ebonyi State
Source: Authors’ compilation from field survey

The key informants provided information on their enterprises such as the number of
persons working in the enterprise, the assets owned, the production and handling
activities, the procurement of inputs, and the marketing of outputs. The enterprises
provided historical information on the enterprise based on recall of significant changes
over time in its business assets and activities.
The information obtained from the survey was recorded in Qualtrics. The data collected
were subjected to analysis to inform a summary of characteristics and trends in the value
chain. The qualitative data was analyzed by identifyinh the themes and patterns
generated from the responses of the key informants. Through the qualitative analysis, we
created a narrative of the status, organization, relationships, and interactions within and
between the nodes of the tomato and GLV value chain in Ebonyi State. The results of the
thematic analysis are expressed in the report.

6
3. Experiences of MSMEs along the Tomato and GLV Value Chains
3.1. Producers
a. Tomato farmers: Commercial tomato production is not common in the state. While
tomato producers exist, they require considerable capital to operate. The tomato
farms are largely micro-enterprises, using mainly casual labor to augment family
labor and capital at various stages of production. There are few commercial farms,
some of which are known to offer training courses.
These tomato farms have the ability to produce all year round using environmentally
micro-managed technologies, which was observed in about two-thirds of the
producers. The farms are also in the business of producing other agricultural
commodities. Their engagement in tomato production is recent, often within the last
5 years. These farms use foreign tomato cultivars (cultivars from Thailand, the USA,
Benin Republic, etc.). The level of production by the farms is far from adequate to
meet the demand of consumers in the state. Nonetheless some of these tomato
farms sell their produce outside the state. The survey revealed that some farms make
contractual agreements with supermarkets as their major off-takers and prefer to
sell their tomato produce online on e-store platforms.
b. Green Leafy Vegetable (GLV) farmers: There are various types of GLVs produced
and consumed in the State (fluted pumpkin/Ugu –Telfairia occidentalis; Waterleaf -
Talinum triangulare; Oha - Pterocarpus mildbraedii; Uziza - Piper guineense; Utazi -
Gongronema latifolium ; Bitter leaf - Vernonia amygdalina; Scent leaf - Ocimum
gratissimum; Garden egg leaf - Solanum melongena; African spinach leaf –
Amaranthus spp.). The most commonly consumed GLV is the fluted pumpkin, a
major vegetable constituent in most delicacies in the state. It is a well-marketed
vegetable across southern Nigeria. Although some vegetables tend to propagate
naturally or grow continuously after the first cultivation (water leaf, utazi, oha, etc.),
the fluted pumpkin is a water-loving plant that must be cultivated, staked, and
routinely attended to for it to grow and develop adequately. The plant's water
needs at various growth stages affect its production in a state that largely practice
rainfed agriculture. Commercial GLV farming in Ebonyi State is not widespread.
Hence, there are different groups among the GLV farmers in the State, including:
▪ Farmers practicing rain-fed agriculture. They engage in rainy-season cultivation
and supply of fluted pumpkin. These groups are located in the upland, less
swampy areas of the state (Izzi and Ezza local government areas). They practice
intercropping of the GLV with other major crops such as yam, cassava, pepper,
etc.
▪ Farmers practicing dry season cultivation of GLV by riverbanks around Ikwo and
Afikpo local government areas; and
▪ Farmers practicing irrigation farming on smaller patches of land all year round.
7
Historically, the Izzi and Ezza LGAs were known to produce the GLVs predominantly sold
in the local markets. Recently, there are supplies of fluted pumpkin GLV from Cross River
State (Ogoja area), which neighbors Ebonyi State. The fluted pumpkin farmers in Ebonyi
State were said to have faced stiff competition from the vegetable farmers from Cross
River; hence they diverted their farming efforts to other crops (such as yam, rice,
cassava). The Cross River farmers produce deep-green soft-leaf fluted pumpkins during
the rainy season using rain-fed agriculture.
Commercial GLV farmers cultivate farmlands of 2 hectares (ha) and above; they also
employ casual labor to assist in staking, weeding, and spraying agrochemicals on
farmland. In contrast, most GLV farmers operate at the micro-scale of production.
Key challenges faced by tomato and GLV producers
▪ Tomato production, especially in commercial quantities, is rarely practiced in most
parts of the state. The tomato plant needs specific temperature, precipitation,
and soil conditions to thrive. The state’s agroclimatic conditions do not adequately
support the cultivation of tomato.
▪ Commercial tomato production is cost intensive. It requires a well-conditioned
environment whereby all the weather conditions, including humidity,
temperature, and precipitation, are ideal for cultivation. In other words, to
guarantee successful production, a suitable ‘micro-climate’ must be created. This
is often achieved using greenhouse/screen-house structures. The
greenhouse/screen-house structure is quite expensive, making commercial
tomato farming out of reach for most farmers in the state.
▪ Tomato production in the state is constrained by pests and diseases (e.g. thrips,
white flies), which destroy the plant and produce and affect profitability.
▪ Commercial fluted pumpkin farming requires painstaking efforts, large expanses
of land, and adequate water supply. Most GLV farmers in the state lack adequate
land and irrigation facilities/equipment to produce on a large scale and improve
their profit margins. Some of these farmers instead rely on less-input demanding
GLVs (waterleaf, green, bitter leaf, etc.), which are in less demand than fluted
pumpkin.
▪ The relatively higher demand for the fluted pumpkin vegetable variety produced
in Cross River State puts the GLV farmers in Ebonyi State at a disadvantage. The
stiff competition puts most of them out of business for long periods of the year.
▪ Seasonality in production and low profits make the GLV business an unsustainable
enterprise for most farmers.
3.2. Input Suppliers
The input suppliers of the vegetable value chain include supploers of fertilizer, seed,
agrochemicals, tools, and other equipment. This group of actors in the vegetable value

8
chain broadly serve a wide range of crop producers. The input suppliers are involved in
a cost-intensive aspect of the value chain. Their business is dominated by men, though
there are a fair share of women engaging in sales, cashier, and clerical duties.
The input suppliers engage in different combinations of agro-inputs supply. The fertilizer
dealers are highly needed as virtually all crop farmers apply fertilizers to improve soil
fertility and crop yield. The agrochemical suppliers’ sales volumes have increased
because of recent adoption of herbicides and other pesticides by farmers in the state.
This was not the case about 15 years ago, and the increased adoption is related to
increased awareness and improved knowledge of agrochemicals, as well as the
marketing activities of company sales representatives at rural locations. The seed input
dealers’ sales activities are relatively less for the vegetable value chain. Hence, we could
not find an input dealer involved in only seed sales. The input supplier business requires
good warehousing.
Micro-scale enterprises dominate this node. The input suppliers control a large amount of
capital. However, their sales activities are also seasonal, primarily occurring in the rainy
season/cropping season. The season of fertilizer sales is during the planting season (May-
October) when the farmers are engaged in cropping activities. The sales season for
agrochemicals is from the onset of the rains to the end of the cropping season (March-
August), while the season of seed sales is before planting (April-June). Sales
representatives from the inputs manufacturing/distribution companies engage in
activities such as distributing flyers and advertorials, distribution of sample inputs, and
demonstration of input use, which helps in marketing the inputs across broader and more
remote areas of the state.
Key challenges faced by input suppliers
▪ High input cost occasioned by exchange rate volatility and import difficulties
affects inputs’ sales. Some of the inputs’ manufacturers, especially for
agrochemicals, are foreign companies, and importation challenges affect
supplies. Exchange rate fluctuations affect domestic companies because they
source some raw materials from abroad.
▪ Shortages in the supply of raw materials for agro-inputs' production challenge the
input suppliers' business. The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge, with shortages
attributed to China's slowdown of agrochemical production. Access to raw
materials for fertilizer production, faced by manufacturing companies since the
Russian-Ukrainian war, has also been a challenge.
▪ Input suppliers in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital (the hub of the distributor
outlets), are currently facing the challenge of market relocation and private
reconstruction of warehouses in new settlements without government aid. The
problems are compounded by the actions of the constituted task forces charged
with ejecting them at short notice.
9
3.3. Wholesalers (Traders)
a. Tomato wholesalers involve groups of marketers coordinating the large-scale supply
of tomatoes in the state. The continuous availability of tomatoes in the state can be
attributed to the wholesalers. The tomato wholesale business is dominated by nano-
scale enterprises, and women dominate ownership of wholesale tomato businesses.
The wholesalers establish contacts with tomato dealers in major tomato markets in
the country, from where they transport or waybill baskets of tomatoes supplied to
the various parts of the state. These supplies are largely aggregated at the biggest
market in the state (the Ebonyi State International Market in the capital city). Tomato
wholesalers in Ebonyi State maintain a good supply of tomatoes by purchasing the
products in bulk from established producer markets in Plateau, Benue, Enugu, and
Cross River States. Tomatoes from Cross River State are supplied from Cameroon.
The tomato supplies are seasonal, and the seasonality is related to the production
timelines of the different regions. The Plateau State variety, also known as the ‘UTC’
or Jos tomato, has its season from November–April. The Benue State tomato season
is May–September. The Enugu State (Nsukka) tomato variety season is April–
September. The tomato variety from Cameroon, aggregated and sold in Cross River
State (Ikom area), is considered non-seasonal. It is grown all year, but its sales in
Ebonyi State are seasonal.
The tomato wholesalers provide credit facilities (trade credit) to tomato retailers. A
tomato wholesaler’s business entails regular trips to aggregate tomato supplies (up
to 3-5 times weekly). Hence, the tomato wholesalers primarily work alone. Some
wholesalers also engage in tomato retail to sell off leftovers from bulk (baskets)
purchase. There are indications that tomato retailers also engage in bulk buying;
this is often the case for short-distance trips (e.g., Nsukka market) during the peak of
season sales.
b. Green Leafy Vegetable wholesalers are dominated by women, and they are mainly
of the nano- and micro-scale of business. While GLV production is mainly small-
scale, the wholesalers provide the service of supplying GLV in larger quantities.
These wholesalers aggregate GLVs at the major markets where retailers within and
outside the market obtain needed quantities for sale. Given the nature of the GLV
business in the state, the wholesalers can be categorized into two groups:
▪ GLV wholesalers that aggregate vegetables from various farms, communities,
and large vegetable markets in the northern parts of Cross River State. The GLV
so aggregated are then supplied to the Ebonyi State major market. This group of
market women act both as wholesalers and transporters in discharging their
function in the value chain. They package the vegetables in bundles of over 100
heads/bunches wrapped in soft bags or cloth. Then they pay the commodity

10
 transporting vehicles to bring the product down to the major markets in Ebonyi
State, where the products are delivered to the next group of wholesalers.
▪ The second group of wholesalers are those in the Ebonyi State major market. This
group off-takes the GLV directly from the suppliers from Cross River State, then
immediately distributes the GLV in smaller sizes to the waiting retailers within the
market and from other markets. This group of wholesalers are also known to
make retail sales from the leftover GLV after the bulk sales.
The GLV marketers (wholesalers and suppliers) organize themselves into unions to
coordinate GLV supplies and wholesale activities. This controlled wholesaler/supplier
market system emerged within the last five years.. One distinguishing feature is that the
practice ensures a major aggregation of GLV from most suppliers within and outside the
state to the Ebonyi State major market, increasing supply over long periods. The system
was contrived to put checks on the quantity of GLV supplied in the markets.
Key challenges faced by wholesalers
▪ Shortage of funds: This adversely affects regular bulk purchases by tomato
wholesalers due to delayed debt repayments by the retailers. Tomato wholesalers
are often constrained by funds tied down in the hands of the retailers whom they
granted tomato supplies on credit. This situation inadvertently increases the cost of
operations for the tomato wholesalers who must make extra trips to meet with
necessary bulk purchases.
▪ Insecurity: Security challenges on the highways owing to banditry, terrorism, and
communal conflicts, are prevalent. This is especially the case on routes leading to
the country’s northern region, where large quantities of tomato are purchased
during the dry season. This factor increases the direct cost on tomato wholesalers,
which is then passed along to the market prices and consequently leads to a
reduction in sales for the marketers.
▪ Transport delays: This is encountered in transporting the tomato produce, leading to
an increase in its spoilage before landing, thus reducing the probability of bulk sales
by wholesalers. The delays are attributed to poor road networks, over-exploitation
by highway security agents, and the breakdown of vehicles and/or low-quality
vehicles used for transport.
▪ Extortion: The GLV wholesale suppliers complain of over-exploitation in transit by
highway security agents, increasing their production costs in a trade with minimal
profit margins.
▪ Low prices: The GLV wholesalers also experience low market pricing of the product,
which prevails due to the high perishability of the vegetables.
▪ Seasonality: Seasonal challenges of the vegetable produce affect the market sales
and wholesaler profit margins.

11
3.4. Third-Party Logistics Providers
Third-party logistics providers in the vegetable value chain are regular food commodity
transporters who travel to the state to deliver products. These logistics providers do not
own the products; hence, the wholesaler suppliers often contract them. The logistics
providers are found at designated vegetable (tomato and GLV) supplier markets where
the produce is aggregated in bulk. Hence, they plan their trips daily with the wholesale
suppliers, after which they aggregate the vegetable products and deliver them to the
predetermined destination markets. These logistic providers are the organized
commodity transporters from all the major supply routes for the tomato and GLV produce
from Cross River, Plateau, and Benue States, as well as from Nsukka.
They provide the services of loading, transporting, and offloading the produce from
supplier markets to designated markets. These services are dominated by men, given the
physically-demanding nature of some activities. The charges are per bag or basket of
the commodity (based on the sizes). Standardizing the GLV produce charges is more
difficult for the transporters (due to size variations). They also help transport the wholesale
suppliers. Their contractual arrangement ends as soon as they offload the products at
the delivery market. The third-party vegetable logistics providers also offer credit services
for transporting the produce, receiving payments soon after the wholesales are made.
This is more common in the GLV transportation business.
Over the years, some of these transporters have increased the number of vehicles used
for the trade. Some of the transporters operate on hire-purchased vehicle arrangements.
The logistics providers operate most often at nano and micro-scale levels. Due to the
nature of the business, these transporters primarily work alone or with help. The more
common logistic providers are transporters who solely drive their commodity supply
vehicles and handle most loading and offloading activities or use available casual
workers. Hence, the workforce of this category of persons is small, and just a few possess
the capital to own more than one delivery vehicle.
Key challenges faced by third-party logistics providers
▪ The logistics providers sometimes offer credit services to transport/deliver the
perishable produce. However, wholesale marketers often delay in repayment,
which affects the transporters’ business. The GLV transporters sometimes have to
delay other activities to wait and prevail on the wholesale suppliers while making
sales to recoup their funds.
▪ The transporters experience over-exploitation by highway security agents. These
security agents capitalize on the excessive luggage (above the carrying capacity
of the vehicles) to collect excessive fees/fines from the transporters.
▪ The logistics providers face a high cost for vehicle maintenance as they frequent
the highways with excessive cargo. The physical and mechanical conditions of the

12
 vehicles depreciate rapidly with the poor road networks, and their lifespan is
shortened.
3.5. Retailers
The retailers of tomato and GLV are similar in their activities in the markets. They work in
close contact with the wholesalers and help break down the bulk to amounts suitable for
consumers. Retailers usually have market spaces (market stores or stands) where they
display vegetable products for sale to prospective buyers. Sales are usually made either
to other retailers or directly to the consumers. The retailers have particular wholesalers
they deal with; however, they also work with other wholesalers when their preferred one
is unavailable. The vegetable retailers sometimes combine to pool together resources to
off-take products from the wholesalers. The vegetable products are highly perishable, yet
these retailers lack proper storage facilities to preserve the vegetables. The tomato and
GLV retailer markets are dominated by women operating at the nano-scale of business
enterprises. The business of these retailers is such that they have to sell off the products
and make regular purchases in a few days.
a. Tomato retailers: The main sales activities of the retailers include arranging/sorting
the tomatoes in groups by quantity and quality. They also arrange their products
according to the different varieties, based on the source and tomato type. Tomato
retailers sort their products daily into 3–4 categories before sales. These categories
are based on the grades of firmness/injuries on the tomato fruit (levels of
deterioration). Excessive moisture affects the tomato fruits; hence the retailers do
not wash them. However, under increasingly dry conditions, the retailers sprinkle the
tomato with water to improve the appearance for prospective buyers. The retailers
have no storage facilities; hence they extend the shelf-life of the tomato by simply
spreading it on baskets kept in well-ventilated places.
b. Green Leafy Vegetable retailers: The retailers lack proper storage facility. They
improvise by standing vegetable bunches by the wall, spreading them out in well-
ventilated places and sprinkling them with water (during very dry conditions) to slow
down deterioration. The GLV is covered with porous bags in storage to reduce
wilting (except when humidity is high). The retailers avoid washing or putting the GLV
in water if it is to be stored overnight, as wxcessive moisture deteriorates the
vegetables. The GLV, especially fluted pumpkin, is sprinkled with water to reduce
wilting during dry weather conditions. GLV retailers also chop the vegetable leaves
into tiny pieces for the buyer (on demand) at no extra cost.
Key challenges faced by retailers
▪ Retailers face challenges of storing and preserving their unsold produce. This
forces them to sell at giveaway prices and limit their purchases. Hence, the

13
 retailers incur some produce losses owing to this difficulty and regular spoilage of
GLVs in their possession.
▪ The structure of the market store space is also a challenge for the vegetable
retailers. Most of the retailers either stay in enclosed spaces with no proper
temperature regulation or market their products in exposed spaces, which are
prone to weather vagaries. The vegetable produce is highly perishable and
deteriorates faster in poorly ventilated conditions.
▪ Retailers are affected by the activities of wholesalers who also engage in retail
sales at wholesale prices. This gives the wholesalers a competitive advantage to
divert sales. These wholesalers can quickly put the retailers out of business.

4. Cross-Cutting Issues: Environment, Food Safety, and Gender

4.1.Environment
▪ The agroclimatic conditions in Ebonyi State make cultivating tomatoes and GLVs
(especially the fluted pumpkin) difficult. Tomato production is supported by good
climatic conditions with well-aerated soils and moderate precipitation. Flooding
in various parts of the state is a major challenge for GLV and tomato production.
Also, rising temperature and scorching sun lead to increased evaporation from
the soil. Without proper irrigation, tomato and fluted pumpkin can hardly survive.
Some farms cultivating tomatoes have used plastic mulching of the soil to adapt
the planted tomato to harsh weather. There may be issues of environmental
degradation with this practice. It was reported that more than a decade ago, a
community (Effium, located in Ohaukwu Local Government Area (Ebonyi-North))
had a very productive tomato farm employing the technology. This community
has recently declared that they can no longer boast of tomato cultivation due to
land degradation and soil fertility challenges.
▪ The major GLV farmers in the state adapt by cultivating the fluted pumpkin at the
end of the rainy season/beginning of the dry season beside water bodies to avoid
both floods and scorching heat.

4.2. Food Safety

▪ Issues of poor food handling: In the marketing of GLV, there seems to be a total
disregard for the cleanliness and hygiene. The vegetable leaves are carelessly
dumped on the ground in direct contact with dirt and sometimes beside the old
deteriorating vegetable leftovers at the marketplace. Unsold GLV are kept
outside, exposed in the open to all possible unknown unhygienic conditions,
before the resumption of sales the next market day. These unchecked practices
pose a significant threat to the safety of the consumption of the GLV by humans,
with worrisome health implications.

14
 ▪ GLVs are usually chopped and bagged for buyers when demanded. The usual
buyers who demand such services are said to be restaurant operators as they aim
to quicken meal preparations. However, GLV marketers often move straight into
chopping leaves without first washing the leaves or washing their hands. The
practice is a routine occurrence with most GLV retailers.
▪ Poor handling of tomatoes: Unsold tomatoes are left uncovered in baskets within
the exposed market stalls and open places, which are often exposed to houseflies
and rodents before sales the next market day. Some of the tomatoes often have
flesh cuts (injuries). The marketers also sort these exposed tomatoes with bare
unwashed hands. Despite the high chances of contamination, deteriorating
tomatoes with flesh cuts are displayed by the marketers and sold.
▪ These poor food safety practices in the vegetable value chain, left unchecked,
jeopardize consumers' food safety and health.
4.3. Gender
▪ Women tend to participate the most in the vegetable marketing activities of
wholesalers and retailers. The women are said to be better managers of the “dirty
business,” i.e., the business of perishables. Generally, food commodity businesses
are often related to domestic chores (especially cooking) where women are
believed to be better experienced and positioned in decision-making.
▪ Post-production activities in the vegetable value chain are much less capital-
intensive to start up (especially for the GLV groups), thus making it easier for
women to delve into it. This is in contrast to the capital-intensive input dealer
business within the value chain, where men dominate the business ownership. The
general idea is that women are better managers in the business of perishable food
products. Meanwhile, gender roles within the household mean that men must
devote their time to high income-generating activities to meet up with the
household expenses. In contrast, the women shoulder fewer financial needs of the
household. Hence, women are more open to less lucrative business activities.

5. Conclusion
The vegetable value chain in Ebonyi State is challenged right from the production stages,
increasing the state’s dependency and exposure to external shocks of tomato and GLV
supplies. The product demand can only be satisfied by adequate market supplies from
other states. This has negative implications for the food security and welfare of the citizens
of the state. This situation is compounded (especially for the tomato product) by the
highly perishable nature of the vegetable produce with the non-existence of proper
storage facilities and total lack of processing.

15
Continued availability and consumption of tomatoes in the state rest almost entirely on
the activities of the wholesalers. Wholesalers ensure the supply of tomatoes aggregated
from various major market locations to override supply deficits. Notwithstanding the
activities of these wholesale suppliers, tomato availability and consumption is not secured
in the state. This is due to inefficiencies in tomato's handling, processing, and storage,
resulting in product losses and wastage. Also, the supply within the state lags behind
demand; hence there is room for improvement. There is an urgent need to address the
food handling practices of tomato and GLV marketers.
The marketing nodes of the tomato value chain are well connected, although it remains
underdeveloped because there is no value addition or improvement in storage.

16
References
FAO. (2020). Fruit and vegetables – your dietary essentials. The International Year of Fruits
and Vegetable, 2021, background paper. In Fruit and Vegetables – Your Dietary
Essentials. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2395en
FAOSTAT, (2022) https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL.
Mason-D’Croz, D., Bogard, J.R., Sulser, T.B., Cenacchi, N., Dunston, S., Herrero, M. &
Wiebe, K. (2019). Gaps between fruit and vegetable production, demand, and
recommended consumption at global and national levels: An integrated modelling
study. The Lancet Planetary Health 3(7): e318–e329.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519619300956.
NAERLS & FMARD. (2017). Agricultural Performance Survey of 2017 Wet Season in Nigeria:
National Report. National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.
NAERLS & FMARD. (2018). Agricultural Performance Survey of 2018 Wet Season in Nigeria:
National Report. National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.
NAERLS & FMARD. (2019). Agricultural Performance Survey of 2019 Wet Season in Nigeria:
National Report. National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.
NAERLS & FMARD. (2020). 2020 Wet Season Agricultural Performance in Nigeria.
NBS. (2018). 2017 Demographic Statistics Bulletin. National Bureau of Statistics.
Onyeneke, R. U., Amadi, M. U., & Njoku, C. L. (2022). Climate Change Adaptation
Strategies by Rice Processors in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Journal of the Institute of
Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences 41(3), 283–290.
https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2022-0029
Onyeneke, R. U., Amadi, M. U., Njoku, C. L., & Osuji, and E. E. (2021). Climate Change
Perception and Uptake of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Rice Production in Ebonyi
State, Nigeria. Atmosphere (Vol. 12, Issue 11). https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111503
Osuji, E. E., Onyemauwa, C. S., Obasi, I. O., Obike, K. C., Ebe, F. E., Tim-Ashama, A. C.,
Ibekwe, C. C., Obi, J. N., Inyang, P., Azuamairo, G. C., Chinaka, I. C., Ankrumah, E.,
Praise, C. N., & Ifejimalu, A. C. T. (2022). Food Sustainability and Security, Aftermath of
Vegetable Production in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Crops, 8(3),
122–130. https://doi.org/10.32861/jac.83.122.130
Pricewater Cooper. 2020. X-raying the Nigerian tomato industry Focus on reducing
tomato wastage. https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/nigeria-tomato-
industry.pdf.
WHO and FAO. (2003). Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of
a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation.

17
18