News: Dizengoff to Create 1000 Jobs

Through Greenhouse Technology

Dizengoff Farmers Kit (DFK) - In a bid to align with the Federal Government's move to
diversify the economy away from oil through agriculture and ensure food sufficiency, Dizengoff
Nigeria will boost tomato production through its greenhouse technology ad create about 1000
jobs in the next two years.

The greenhouse technology comes with the Dizengoff Farmers Kit (DFK). The DFK is a
technology specifically developed to enable farmers produce high quality, fresh tomatoes all year
round anywhere in Nigeria.

The DFK yields up to four tons of tomatoes in a 6-month season from a single (8m x 24m or
192m2) greenhouse; in comparison with the traditional open field tomato cultivation with best
agricultural practices yields a maximum of 7 tons per hectare (10,000m2).

But with DFK replicated over one hectare, it will yield 19 times more tomatoes than the
traditional open field cultivation.

"As a company, we see the huge employment opportunity the greenhouse will create for
Nigerians, both directly and indirectly and we believe that with participation from both the
private and public sectors, the DFK will create about 1000 jobs directly and indirectly in the next
2 years:' said Humphrey Otalor, marketing communication manager, Dizengoff Nigeria during a
media field day held recently.

Nigeria is the 13th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second after Egypt in. Africa,
yet the country is still unable to meet local demand because about 50 percent of tomato produce
is wasted due to lack storage facility, poor handling practice, and poor transportation network
across the country. The situation has resulted in an import bill of N16 billion annually in the
importation of tomato paste which makes up for the shortfall in local production.

Nigeria has a domestic demand for tomatoes put at 2.3 million tons, while it produces only 1.8
million tons annually, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(FMARD).

According to experts, greenhouse offers golden opportunity to farmers to farm all year round,
thereby bridging the demand-supply gap of tomatoes in the country.

The greenhouse technology provides plants exactly what they need - a perfect climate, right
amount of sunlight, nutrition, exact amounts of water, carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, proper
ventilation and hostility to pests and diseases.
"Our greenhouse is essentially a controlled environment limiting the devastating effects of insect
pests and diseases that ravage vegetables including tomatoes. It is not rain-fed but brain-fed, as it
comes complete with a customised drip irrigation system. With little amount of land space and
water, you are sure to get a yield far higher than your traditional open field production:' said
Oscar Walumbe, integrated project manager, Dizengoff Nigeria.

"Nigerians can now leverage on the immense opportunity offered by the Dizengoff Farmers' Kits
to limit the foreign exchange spent on importing tomatoes annually while also providing
employment for its teeming youths:' said Walumbe.

Antti Ritvonen, country manager and chief executive officer, Dizengoff Nigeria, said “we in
Dizengoff want to revitalise the Nigerian agriculture and be part of the work in taking the
country’s agriculture up and running again