Inspired by Tomato Trellises: Tukur’s Story
KANO STATE, NIGERIA – In northern Nigeria, vegetable farming demonstration plots are inspiring young farmers like Tukur Hamisu.
Tukur, a 30-year-old from Kano State, developed an interest in modern vegetable farming after encountering a tomato demonstration farm in his community. What immediately caught his attention were the organized trellising system and the sight of healthy plants with tomatoes dangling beautifully along the vines. The clear structure and visible productivity sparked his curiosity to learn more.
Motivated by what he saw, Tukur attended one of the farmer trainings organized in the community by East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation. During the training session, he met an implementing farmer who took time to further enlighten him on improved vegetable production techniques. He was also given hard copies of crop and technical guides, which became his reference materials as he began planning his own farm.
Determined to put this knowledge into practice, Tukur purchased two packs of hybrid tomato seeds and established his farm on 1,500 square meters of land. To ensure proper plant support and maximize yield, he also invested in trellising materials, including ropes, binding wires, and sticks.
The results were impressive. At harvest, Tukur sold over 100 crates of tomatoes, generating about 600,000 naira ($433) in revenue.
Reflecting on the experience, Tukur said, “When I deducted my expenses from my revenue, I saw that I had made a gain of 300,000 naira ($216), something I have never achieved in my entire farming experience.”
The vegetable production trainings that Tukur attended were organized by East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) as part of the DELIVER Nigeria project, which is supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) / Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by EWS-KT with partners Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Wageningen University & Research.
