Tomato value added products

Tomatoes are widely grown and used in Kenya. During the peak seasons most farmers sell their tomatoes at throwaway prices and substantial quantities go to waste because they are highly perishable.

To avoid this, farmers can process tomatoes into various products for storage and also for new uses at home or as added value products for storage income generation.

For Susan Achieng in Kisumu, Kenya, value addition products are limited only by your imagination. One may decide to come up with a single product or a whole range. Or even throw caution to the wind and produce a little bit of everything.

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However, she says, always have in mind your business plan.

“Who is the market for your value-added product(s)? How will you advertise? Will you sell directly to consumers?” she said.

Susan does simple value addition products from tomatoes and she sells them at the organic market in Nairobi.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals which are water soluble and are important for health. They also contain Lycopene (The substance that makes tomatoes red) which has a lot of health benefits.

Susan noted that factors such as lack of appropriate Tomato varieties for specific zones tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, poor agronomic practices (nutrient management, water use efficiency), physiological disorders (blossom end rot, sun-scald) and high postharvest losses also constrain tomato production.

“These challenges coupled with lack of value addition and marketing issues affect the profitability of tomato production,” she says.

There are many tomato varieties in Kenya. Some varieties mature faster and produce bigger fruit. They are more resistant to common tomato diseases. Some tomato varieties in Kenya need warmer weather. Planting the wrong tomato variety will hurt your agribusiness. 

Varieties include Anna F1, Faulu, Mavuno F1, Money Maker, and Marglobe. Other fresh market tomato varieties in Kenya include Capitan, Kentom 1, Kentom 2, Beauty and Tropic.

Populr processing tomato varieties in Kenya include Cal j, Riogrande, Roma VF, M-82, Parma VF, Parmamech, Picardor, Nema 1401, Rubino, Spectrum and Nema 1400.

She talks about her products and how she produces them.

Tomato paste

Yeah, tomato sauce is great. But tomato paste is even better. You can substitute fresh tomatoes before you cook or add-on as a flavor to cooked food. To make tomato paste, essentially, you have to cut and blend your tomatoes. After, use a sieve or strainer to refine your paste. Then heat the result to break things down further – you may flavor to your tastes (or customers taste). Once it’s cooled down, you package as you will decide.

500g of tomato paste costs Sh250.

Tomato juice

Are you goal oriented enough to experiment with new flavors, Susan says competitors in the tomato value chain are already exploring this.

The process is largely similar to making paste. Except, you aim to achieve more fluidity with the final tomato product. This is achieved by sieving your paste then further on heating or cooking. Add salt, sugar and citric acid as is cooks on low heat. This should take just about 10 minutes.

“A high quality tomato juice contains small percentage of acid (citric acid), salt and sugar. These you have to measure according to the amount tomatoes used,” said Susan.

One litre goes for Sh230.

Tomato powder

Just as well, you can turn your dried tomato into powder. All you have to do is ground them. This is the ultimate way to preserve tomatoes. The powder can be used to make sauce, juice, soup and whatever other idea you can stumble upon.

A kilogram of tomato powder costs Sh500.

Dried cut tomatoes

Back in primary school, students were taught how precolonial Africans preserved food by drying. It works for the tomato too. You can use a specialized dehydrator machine. You can also use the sun, which takes between four to 10 days.

“You have to slice them first. The tomatoes will come off with a concentrated taste. And don’t worry, you can soak in warm water to get softness back,” said Susan.

Successful dehydration is dependent on air circulation and temperature. Too low a temperature and the tomatoes will dry too slowly, giving bacteria or mold a chance to grow.

While high temperatures above 77 degrees, tomatoes cook and harden from outside. Properly dried tomatoes have a dark red color and feel dry and leathery, but not hard or brittle.

A kilogram is Sh120

Fresh cut tomatoes

Susan is 99 per cent certain that a lot of people consume their tomatoes after chopping or slicing them.

That’s pretty much how every Kenyan does it. But it is not bought in this form. The more reason for “value addition.”

Tomatoes can be cut by specialized machines. One can use the hand-operated ones sold by hawkers for as little as Sh100.

This activity obviously has a low barrier of entry but quality, freshness and price of your tomatoes are some ways to gain competitive advantage.

A kilogram is Sh120.

Tomato pickle

Tomato pickle and chutney are appetizing products that are commonly used with rice and snacks. They are highly recommended for children because they improve appetite.

Ingredients include tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped ginger, garlic and edible oil, cumin, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and cinnamon in equal quantities, red chili (optional), turmeric powder, sugar/jaggery (optional), glacial acetic acid and sodium benzoate.

Tomatoes are cut in either quarters or eight pieces and then cooked with onion, ginger and garlic. Jaggery or sugar is added after about 10 minutes of cooking and mixed well.

The tomato mixture is then removed from fire. Half the oil is heated to fry the remaining spices and the tomato mixture is added and fried together.

Finally, salt, sodium benzoate and glacial acetic acid are added in that order while mixing well. The pickle is then filled in dry sterile glass jars and covered with a cloth.

The remaining oil is heated in a separate pan until it fumes and then it is allowed to cool. The oil is then added to the pickle in jars to prevent air contact with the product. The jars are then sealed tightly.

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