Postharvest losses of fresh tomatoes in Nigeria represent a significant waste of the resources used to grow this crop as well as a missed opportunity to supply nutrients to Nigerian consumers. GAIN’s Postharvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN) project was designed to address this issue by extending the shelf life of tomatoes through processing the fruit into a dried form.
This study, commissioned by GAIN, sheds light on the nutritional benefits of dried tomatoes and shows how the nutrient content is affected by the various drying and storage methods used in Nigeria. In doing so, it points the way towards processing approaches that can reduce losses and maximize the nutritional value of Nigeria’s tomato harvest, thereby helping Nigerian producers meet the sizable unmet demand for this valuable crop.