Economic Analysis of Food Losses in the Tomato Processing Value Chain in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria

Tomato processing enterprises in North West Nigeria face compounded challenges of raw material quality variability, inadequate processing infrastructure, and significant economic losses from post-harvest deterioration along the value chain. Zamfara State, with its emerging agricultural processing sector, provides an instructive setting for economic analysis of food loss dynamics. This study conducted an economic analysis of food losses at key nodes of the tomato processing value chain in three Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, involving 120 value chain actors. Data on physical loss quantities, monetary values, input costs, and price margins were collected using structured questionnaires and direct product weighing at each value chain node. Economic loss values were estimated using farm gate, wholesale, and retail price benchmarks. Results indicated total value chain losses averaging 38.6 percent of initial input tonnage, with monetary losses estimated at over 2.1 billion Naira annually for the sampled supply area. The aggregation and transportation node recorded the highest monetary losses at 41 percent of total loss value. Seasonal price crashes during peak harvest further amplified the economic impact of physical losses. The study recommends the establishment of primary tomato processing cooperatives with cold storage facilities, price stabilisation mechanisms, and access to agro-processing credit facilities in Zamfara State to reduce both physical and economic losses. Keywords: food losses, tomato, value chain, economic analysis, Zamfara.