Good Step With Good Prospect Towards Food Safety

Muhammed Alhassan

How a simple switch to plastic crates at Mile 12 Market is reducing tomato losses and boosting profits across Nigeria’s food supply chain.

Introduction

In Nigeria, up to 40–50% of fresh fruits and vegetables are lost between farm and fork, largely due to poor handling, weak infrastructure, and inadequate storage. For tomatoes, one of the country’s most consumed and traded vegetables, these losses translate into billions of naira annually, higher consumer prices, and reduced incomes for farmers and traders.

In August 2014, the Department for International Development (DFID), in collaboration with Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4), conducted market research at Mile 12 Market to assess a simple but transformative innovation: the use of plastic crates for packaging tomatoes instead of traditional raffia baskets.

What they found was compelling.

The Hidden Cost of Post-Harvest Losses in Nigeria

Nigeria is the largest producer of tomatoes in Sub-Saharan Africa, producing an estimated 3–4 million metric tonnes annually, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yet the country still imports significant volumes of tomato paste to meet demand, partly because of massive post-harvest losses. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has estimated that Nigeria loses over ₦200 billion annually from tomato wastage alone.

Globally, the FAO reports that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted (FAO). In developing countries, much of this loss happens during harvesting, transportation, and storage due to poor handling and packaging systems.

In Nigeria’s traditional produce supply chain, tomatoes are often transported in raffia baskets. While affordable and widely used, these baskets allow compression, overheating, and bruising. The result? Squashed produce, microbial contamination, shorter shelf life, and significant economic losses.

This is where plastic crates enter the conversation.

A Practical Demonstration at Mile 12

To validate the benefits of crate packaging, DFID and GEMS4 visited Mile 12 Market — one of West Africa’s largest food markets — to observe the arrival and offloading of tomatoes transported in plastic crates from Kaduna State.

A dealer had loaded 92 plastic crates of tomatoes destined for Lagos. The truck arrived on 13 August 2014 and was offloaded the following day. The research team observed the entire process for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

The tomatoes were transported in a J5 van and offloaded by four young workers, each carrying two crates per trip. Notably:

  • The tomatoes were clean, sorted, and well arranged.

  • There were minimal squashed fruits.

  • The stacking design of the crates prevented compression damage.

Unlike raffia baskets, plastic crates allow for vertical stacking without the weight of upper loads crushing the produce below. They also provide ventilation, reducing heat buildup — a critical factor in tropical climates where temperatures can accelerate spoilage.

The demonstration offered visible proof that better packaging directly improves produce quality at the point of sale.

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Growing Demand for Quality Tomatoes

Beyond the technical advantages, the market response was even more encouraging.

There was a noticeable increase in demand for premium-quality tomatoes. Buyers were willing to pay higher prices for better-preserved produce.

Isiaka Mudidat, a supplier with branches across Lagos Mainland and Island, emphasized that her buyers insist on quality, compelling her to prioritize tomatoes packaged in crates regardless of cost. In one observed phone conversation, a buyer was explicitly instructed to purchase tomatoes in crates instead of raffia baskets.

Another trader, Mrs. Margaret, highlighted a critical advantage:

“Plastic crates stack without touching the produce. That prevents squashing, which is one of the biggest causes of tomato losses.”

Her observation aligns with research on post-harvest handling, which confirms that compression damage significantly reduces shelf life and market value.

As documented in broader discussions about Nigeria’s agricultural value chain on Agriculture Nigeria, improving post-harvest systems is essential for profitability and food security. For related insights, see:

Infrastructure Improvements and Market Modernization

The visit also revealed broader structural improvements within Mile 12 Market. The market was undergoing expansion and infrastructural upgrades — a development attributed partly to sustained engagement between GEMS4 and the market association over the previous two years.

Improving physical infrastructure — including better loading zones, organized produce sections, and improved sanitation — is central to enhancing food safety and supply chain efficiency. The pepper section of the market had already benefited from such interventions.

Modern markets not only reduce losses but also:

  • Improve food safety standards

  • Increase trader incomes

  • Boost consumer confidence

  • Strengthen linkages between rural producers and urban markets

These changes reflect the broader goals of agricultural transformation programs in Nigeria: creating inclusive growth through systemic improvements.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Food Safety

Beyond packaging, the research team engaged leaders of Yoruba Fresh Vegetables Dealers in dialogue about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). A dealer from Kaduna, alongside Master Trainers, demonstrated improved handling and sorting methods.

Food safety management systems can begin with simple, low-cost interventions such as:

  • Sorting and grading at the farm gate

  • Washing with clean water

  • Using food-safe packaging materials

  • Avoiding direct contact with contaminated surfaces

Encouragingly, observers noted that many tomato sellers in Mile 12 were already sorting, grading, and washing their tomatoes before sale, a positive shift toward better hygiene standards.

According to the World Bank, investments in post-harvest infrastructure can yield returns of up to four times the initial cost in developing economies due to reduced losses and improved market value (World Bank Agriculture Overview).

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Economic and Employment Implications

The crate initiative is not just about reducing spoilage — it also stimulates economic activity.

  • Plastic crate manufacturing and distribution create jobs.

  • Improved quality enables premium pricing.

  • Reduced waste increases total marketable volume.

  • Stronger supply chains improve income stability for smallholder farmers.

In Nigeria, smallholder farmers account for over 80% of agricultural production. Enhancing their profitability is key to reducing poverty and strengthening food security.

By improving handling practices, farmers and traders can transition from volume-based selling to value-based marketing — a shift critical for modern agribusiness development.

Why Plastic Crates Matter

The case study at Mile 12 demonstrates that innovation does not always require high-tech solutions. Sometimes, change begins with replacing a raffia basket with a plastic crate.

The benefits include:

  1. Reduced mechanical damage

  2. Improved hygiene and food safety

  3. Longer shelf life

  4. Higher market prices

  5. Lower overall post-harvest losses

When scaled nationally, such interventions could significantly reduce Nigeria’s tomato import dependency and improve domestic processing capacity.

Lessons for Agricultural Policy and Development

The DFID and GEMS4 intervention illustrates a critical lesson: systemic agricultural transformation requires attention to the entire value chain — not just production.

Key takeaways include:

  • Market-driven change works. When buyers demand quality, supply chains adapt.

  • Simple technologies can yield high impact.

  • Institutional engagement matters. Dialogue with market associations accelerates adoption.

  • Infrastructure and behavior change go hand in hand.

For Nigeria and other African countries seeking to modernize agricultural systems, the Mile 12 experience provides a scalable model.

Looking Forward

Since 2014, awareness around food safety and post-harvest management has continued to grow. However, scaling such interventions remains essential. Broader adoption of crate systems across tomato-producing states like Kaduna, Kano, and Plateau could dramatically cut losses nationwide.

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, contributing roughly 20–25% of GDP and employing millions. Yet productivity gains will only translate into prosperity if supply chain inefficiencies are addressed.

The Mile 12 demonstration proved that better packaging improves outcomes across the value chain — from farmer to trader to consumer.

Reducing waste is not just about saving tomatoes. It is about safeguarding incomes, strengthening food security, and building a more resilient agricultural system for the future.

Courtesy: The Department for International Development (DFID) and Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4) Market Research Update.

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Muhammed Alhassan