TOMATO PRODUCTION:
TECHNICAL GUIDELINES
INTRODUCTION
Before you think of growing tomatoes
or any other cash crop, you need to
think of your market. Where will you
sell the tomatoes? Is it in the village,
at the growth point or town? How are
you going to get your tomatoes to the
market?
If you are using a river or well to
irrigate, does the river or well have
enough water to get your crop to
maturity?
You also need to think of the cost of
the production, seeds, fertilizers, and
other pest and
diseases control chemicals against the
price you are likely to get for your
crop.
You need to talk to your local
extension services officer for advice on
the cash crop you intend to grow. The
extension services officer's advice
must be taken into account before
choosing a crop to grow.
When these factors have been taken
into account you need to plan when
you want your crop to reach the
market.
Figure 1: Tomato production. Photo: Practical Action
Southern Africa / Thembinkosi Nyath.
These technical guidelines provide details of the key steps for establishment and production of a
tomato crop by individuals, enterprise and/or community groups.
Uses
Fresh fruits are used in salads and cooked with relish. Cultivars grown for processing are
canned and made into purees, sauces or juices.
The nutrient content of the fresh per 100g is as follows:
Water 93ml, calories 21, protein l g: fat O.2g; carbohydrate 4g, fibre O.6g; plus minerals and
vitamins.
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