Agric Minister introduces policy to curb importation of tomatoes

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has said Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes and tomato products cannot continue, insisting that the country has the land, water and farmers needed to produce enough tomatoes to meet domestic demand.

“Every cedi spent on imported tomato is a Ghanaian job exported. This cannot continue to be our permanent reality,” Mr Opoku said.

He was speaking at the national launch of the Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI) at Anloga in the Volta Region yesterday.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in partnership with FarmMate Africa, seeks to establish a reliable, year-round domestic tomato value chain, reduce import dependence, create jobs and eventually generate surplus for export.

The launch brought together government officials, farmers, traditional leaders, private-sector partners, financial and insurance institutions, development partners and other stakeholders in the tomato value chain.

The programme featured a presentation on GHATSI’s objectives and framework, including its farmer component, goodwill messages, a farmer testimony, cultural displays and the keynote address and official launch by Mr Opoku.

The event also included an exhibition showcasing fresh tomato varieties, Ghanaian tomato puree and products from strategic partners, which the ministers, partners and farmers toured.

A press briefing and field visit to selected tomato production sites were also scheduled as part of activities following the launch.

Mr Opoku said Ghana faced an estimated domestic tomato supply deficit of about 300,000 tonnes during the off-season, particularly between December and July, despite having fertile land, suitable climatic conditions, water resources, experienced farmers and a strong domestic market.

He said the country continued to experience scarcity during some periods and waste at others because production, aggregation, processing and markets were not adequately coordinated.

GHATSI’s first phase, covering the 2026/2027 production period, targets approximately 100,000 tonnes of tomatoes from more than 10,000 acres across 35 districts in 10 regions and more than 100 communities.

The initiative is expected to progressively scale up to about 400,000 tonnes of annual tomato supply from more than 40,000 acres.

The Minister said the programme would link farmers to land, irrigation, quality inputs, technical support, financing, insurance, aggregation, processing and guaranteed markets.

FarmMate Africa, the private-sector implementation partner and committed off-taker, will connect farmers to fresh markets, hotels, restaurants, institutional buyers, processors and eventually export markets.

Pan African Savings and Loans, a member of the Ecobank Group, is expected to provide production financing directly to participating farmers, while multi-peril crop insurance will provide protection against unforeseen risks.

The farmer enhancement package is estimated at about GH¢20,000 per acre and covers inputs, land preparation, soil testing, technical assistance, insurance and other production requirements.

Mr Opoku also announced that a packhouse facility would be established at Anloga to support the sorting, grading, packaging and marketing of tomatoes.

The initiative is projected to support more than 150,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities in its first phase, including approximately 50,000 year-round jobs.

Mr Opoku, however, cautioned that the success of the initiative would depend on implementation and accountability beyond the launch.

“GHATSI must not become another successful launch followed by silence,” he said, explaining that the programme would be judged by whether farmers produced and were paid, financing and irrigation reached farms, inputs arrived on time, crops were insured, packhouses operated, processing expanded and imports declined.

The Anloga District Chief Executive, Sandra S. Kpedor, for her part said the district’s agricultural potential made it suitable for the national launch of GHATSI.

She said farmers in the district produced tomatoes, okra, pepper, shallots, spring onions, lettuce and carrots, and could increase production with appropriate support.

“Climate change, as well as changing weather patterns makes it difficult for farmers to plan their production seasons with confidence,” Ms Kpedor said.

She appealed to the Ministry to support agricultural research into tomato varieties and production technologies that could perform under changing climatic conditions and support reliable production throughout the year.

She also called for increased access to affordable fertiliser and other quality agricultural inputs, saying high fertiliser costs continued to burden farmers.

Ms Kpedor further appealed for urgent dredging and desilting of the lagoon and adjoining channels to address perennial flooding, which she said affected farmlands and destroyed crops.

She said the Assembly remained committed to working with the Ministry, FarmMate Africa and other stakeholders to make agriculture a viable business and source of employment, particularly for young people in the district.

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