Don't blame the tools #5: Tomatoes

This mini-series in my blog is dedicated to looking at how the use of 'water-efficient' and 'water-suitable' or 'regionally-appropriate' crops used can increase food security across Africa. 

A core staple cash-crop across most of the world is the humble tomato. Tomatoes are the base for many dishes across the world, but are not part of many staple dishes. For example, my recent trip to Uganda featured little in the way of tomatoes from what I can remember, other than the addition of Ketchup I added to a meal or two. During the dry seasons, however, (which varies depending on where you lie on the ITCZ) tomatoes shoot up in value.

Tomatoes for sale (Source)

There is significant value in tomatoes. According to one website, with investment capital of US$460, you could sell your produce for a minimum of US$2,000. However there is a down side. Although tomatoes are suited to dry soils, they require vast quantities of water, so irrigation is key. The Department for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in South Africa explains that over an 12 week growing period, tomato plants must receive a constant supply of water totalling almost 400mm of water (DAFF, 2011). Referring back to an earlier post on MacDonald's (et al., 2012) assessment of groundwater reserves across Africa, recharge rates (>100mm/yr) are only sufficient in Sub-Saharan regions of the continent, suggesting groundwater-reliant tomato production is only sustainable for Sub-Saharan countries. An NGO project called 'Tomato Jos' has been set up to help the sustainable and profitable production of tomatoes in West Africa. Tomato Jos have begun installing a network of very expensive, efficient drip irrigation lines to supply water for crops from pumped river or groundwater resources, consuming 50% less water and improving yields by 40% (Tomato Jos, 2014)

Unless you live near a body of water or in select parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, you cannot sustainable grow tomatoes. Furthermore, tomatoes cannot be intercropped with other crops, must be 18 inches apart, and is very prone to diseases and fungi such as blight and Fusarium wilt (Fortuneofafrica.com, 2015; DAFF, 2011). 

A good example of the issues tomato farmers face are presented in a report undertaken by the FAO in Egypt. 3% of Egypt's landmass is cultivated and 3% of cultivated land is used for tomato production (EI-Sherif, 1997). Tomato losses are high however due to the "leaf curl virus, early and late blight, and nematodes" with nematodes affecting approximately 25% of tomato plants in fields (EI-Sherif, 1997).

Hypothetically, let's get past the high water consumption, potential infections and diseases, and large land size required. In Mozambique, the International Fund for Agricultural Development-lead (IFAD) PAMA (Agricultural Markets Support) programme has helped rebuild the irrigation networks and implemented economic reforms to improve market access for small farmers to the private sector (IFAD, 2009). Tomatoes, as well as other cash crops have done well in this programme, providing access to supermarkets. However, transportation duration can vary through longer private-sector supply chains. Tomatoes are bought half green to prevent loss during transport (IFAD, 2009). Agro-processing industry networks have yet to be established within Mozambique, but would provide alternative market outlets for lower quality, excess or over-ripe tomatoes (IFAD, 2009). 

Tomatoes generally aren't that great. They require vast amounts of water, making them unsuitable for much of the continent, unless you are near a large body of surface water. Tomatoes are vulnerable to splitting, pests, disease and overcrowding. Mitigation against these issues can be expensive and require international help to provide access to markets and funds. Their water-suitability is limited to water-rich regions, but the potential financial benefits for farmers should not be ignored.