By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
The European Union-funded Agriculture Financing Initiative, AgriFI has committed $2.5 million to Tomato Jos Inc., a tomato farming and processing company in northern Nigeria, to expand local production, climate-smart agriculture and its engagement with smallholder farmers.
The investment, made through a convertible note by EDFI Management Company, EDFI MC under the AgriFI ACP Regional Window, will support the acquisition of packaging equipment, factory upgrades and expanded drip irrigation systems.
It is also expected to help the company reduce energy and production costs while increasing the availability of locally processed tomato products.
Tomato Jos operates an integrated model combining its own farming activities, smallholder sourcing and local processing. More than half of its raw materials are currently sourced from smallholder farmers in Kaduna State.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said the investment demonstrated how private financing could strengthen agricultural value chains and create opportunities for farmers.
“Through the EU-funded AgriFI ACP Regional Window, this investment in Tomato Jos supports a Nigerian business that is creating local value from farm to shelf, reducing post-harvest losses and expanding market opportunities for smallholder farmers, particularly women,” Mignot said.
He described the initiative as a practical example of how the EU works with partners to mobilise sustainable private investment in inclusive and climate-smart agriculture.
EDFI MC Chief Executive Officer, Rodrigo Madrazo, said Tomato Jos’ integrated model connects farmers to reliable markets while providing access to land, irrigation, inputs and technical support.
He said the investment would enable targeted investments in irrigation and packaging capacity, expand the company’s product range, reduce production costs and attract further private investment.
Tomato Jos plans to increase annual fresh-tomato production from more than 4,500 tonnes to about 16,000 tonnes by 2029.
The company also aims to increase the number of smallholder farmers it engages annually from about 500 to 1,500 and raise average farmer income by more than 150 per cent between 2024 and 2029.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Mira Mehta, said the financing would strengthen the tomato value chain in northern Nigeria by expanding production, reducing energy costs and lowering the company’s carbon footprint.
She said the company’s goal was to make locally produced, high-quality tomato paste more accessible to Nigerian consumers while creating more reliable economic opportunities for farming communities.
The investment is also expected to contribute to food security and import substitution by reducing post-harvest losses and increasing domestic tomato processing.
