{
  "id": 7993130,
  "title": "Ghana targets 400,000 tonnes of tomatoes, 600,000 jobs under new self-sufficiency drive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/ghana-targets-400-000-tonnes-of-tomatoes-600-000-jobs-under-new-self",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T05:51:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-targets-400000-tonnes-of-tomatoes-600000-jobs-under-new-self-sufficiency-drive/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI) aims to produce 400,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually and create over 600,000 jobs nationwide. Launched in Anloga on Tuesday, the initiative targets 100,000 tonnes in its first phase during the 2026/27 season from more than 10,000 acres, covering 35 districts, 10 regions, and more than 100 communities. Minister of Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku highlighted that the first phase could support more than 150,000 jobs, including approximately 50,000 year-round positions. The long-term goal is to expand production to more than 40,000 acres, yielding 400,000 tonnes per year and generating additional 200,000 tonnes for processing into value-added products. FarmMate Ltd, a private-sector partner, has already organized approximately 4,000 acres of tomato production in 80 communities across 40 districts in 12 regions, with plans to expand to over 130 communities. The initiative seeks to address a domestic tomato supply deficit of 300,000 tonnes during the December-to-July off-season and improve coordination between production, markets, and processing. Key components of the program include financial support, irrigation expansion, processing facilities, and farmer training.",
  "summary": "Ghana has launched an ambitious drive to produce 400,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually from more than 40,000 acres of land, with the programme projected to create more than 600,000 direct and indirect jobs when fully implemented.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}