GBfoods Builds N20 Billion Tomato Processing Factory in Kebbi Nigeria

• GBfoods, a leading global producer of culinary products built a N20 billion tomato processing plant in Kebbi State Nigeria, via a partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), the Kebbi State Government and the Emirate of Yauri.
• The Investment in a world-class plant and a farm in the same location, includes drip irrigation and fermentation infrastructure, greenhouses, seed planting robots and a vast array of agricultural machinery.
• This expansion will be accompanied by an upgrade in the capacity of the factory. Many new jobs will be created with the expansion.

GBfoods, a leading global producer of culinary products has partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), the Kebbi State Government and the Emirate of Yauri, to build a N20 billion tomato processing plant in the state of Kebbi.

The plant is the second largest in Nigeria and the only fully backward integrated plant in ECOWAS – and holds Nigeria’s largest single tomato farm. When all phases of the project are completed, the factory will be the largest fresh tomato processing plant in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Investment in a state-of-the-art plant and a farm in the same location, includes drip irrigation and fermentation infrastructure, greenhouses, seed planting robots, incubation chambers and a vast array of agricultural machinery. The farm will serve a dual purpose, producing industrial tomatoes during the dry season and soya beans during the rainy season.

The tomato factory will turn fresh tomatoes into tomato concentrate used for the production of Gino Tomatoes Paste and Gino Tomato Pepper Onion Paste, while the soya bean will be used for the manufacturing of soya bean oil, which is a vital ingredient for GBfoods Bama and Jago Mayonnaise.

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The project has created more than 1,000 jobs, including 500 agricultural jobs, 150 factory jobs and 150 construction jobs. GBfoods also involved a good number of farmers as out-growers many smallholder farmers. Besides training outgrowers on good agricultural practices, GBfoods provided them with tomato seedlings, agrochemicals and various equipment, such as water pumps and hose pipes, allowing farmers access to water during the dry season. GBfoods also supported the host communities by providing and maintaining 16 boreholes of drinking water, the first in some of the surrounding villages.

The factory is fully backwardly integrated to the company’s farm and dedicated out-growers. In the coming tomatoes season, the plant will also source most of its raw material from out-growers who will grow the tomatoes on their own farms and from GBfoods’ owned and operated farm. The factory is engaging over 5,000 smallholder farmers as out-growers, in the coming tomatoes season, to grow fresh tomatoes.

The CEO of GBfoods Africa, Mr Vicenç Bosch, applauded the Federal Government for actively supporting GBfoods to work with CBN, Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure the successful completion of the plant. He also expressed his gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Kebbi State Government and the Ngaski Local Government Authorities for their tremendous support for the implementation of the project. Mr. Bosch added that our team of extension workers, consultants and agronomists are ensuring that Nigerian farmers benefit from the technology transfer of our best practices and expertise.

Mr Vincent Egbe, Country Manager, GBfoods Nigeria, said during the launch of the factory, “The opening commissioning of this processing factory is a great milestone for us. It further demonstrates the company’s commitment towards helping Nigeria achieve its food security ambitions, in this case, of self-sufficiency in tomato concentrate production. We will continue to work with the Federal Government towards food security and local production and processing of fresh tomatoes. The company is dedicated to reducing pre and post-harvest losses and also developing the value chain so as to improve revenue streams for tomato farmers. Over the past three years, in the three states of Kaduna, Katsina and Kebbi, GBfoods has worked with smallholder out-growers to boost their incomes by providing seedlings, fertilizers, training, and irrigation pumps, further to reduce post-harvest losses GBfoods also provided free plastic crates to farmers.”

“GBfoods is working with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the CBN to make Nigeria not only a shining example in food security but also to become the food basket of Africa. He especially thanked the Buhari administration, the Kebbi Governor, His Excellency Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele; and the Emir of Yauri, Dr Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullahi for working tirelessly to create an enabling investment environment for GBfoods backwards integration project in tomatoes,” comments Mr Vincent Egbe, the Country Manager, GBfoods Nigeria.

By September 2020, there will be additional land prepared for the October 2021 farming season. Similarly, this expansion will be accompanied by an upgrade in the capacity of the factory. Many new jobs will be created with the expansion.