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 […] The post Agric Minister introduces policy to curb…
Ghana's Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku has announced plans to reduce the country's reliance on imported tomatoes through the Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI). Speaking at the initiative's national launch in Anloga, Volta Region, Mr. Opoku emphasized that Ghana possesses the necessary resources to meet its domestic tomato demand. Every cedi spent on imported tomatoes represents a Ghanaian job being sent abroad, a statement he repeated firmly.
The initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and FarmMate Africa, aims to establish a steady, year-round domestic tomato supply chain. It seeks to decrease dependence on imports, generate employment, and potentially create surplus for export. The launch event included presentations, farmer testimonials, cultural displays, and an exhibition of tomato products, all of which were attended by government officials, farmers, traditional leaders, and various stakeholders.
GHATSI's first phase targets the production of about 100,000 tonnes of tomatoes from over 10,000 acres in 35 districts across 10 regions during the 2026/2027 season. This figure is expected to grow to 400,000 tonnes annually from more than 40,000 acres as the initiative progresses. The programme will provide farmers with access to land, irrigation, quality inputs, technical support, financing, insurance, aggregation, processing, and guaranteed markets.
The private sector, through FarmMate Africa, will facilitate connections to fresh markets, hotels, restaurants, institutional buyers, processors, and eventually export markets.
FarmMate Africa, as the implementation partner, will manage the distribution of these resources to farmers. The initiative also includes a packhouse facility at Anloga for sorting, grading, packaging, and marketing of tomatoes. This phase is projected to create more than 150,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, including around 50,000 year-round positions.
Minister Opoku cautioned that the success of GHATSI hinges on effective implementation and accountability. He stressed that the initiative must not be seen as a one-time event but a sustained effort. The Anloga District Chief Executive, Sandra S. Kpedor, expressed the district's suitability for the initiative, highlighting its agricultural potential.
She noted the district's production of various tomato crops and called for support in researching tomato varieties suitable for changing climate conditions and access to affordable agricultural inputs. Ms. Kpedor also stressed the need for improved infrastructure to address issues like flooding, which affect farmland productivity.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
