An initiative to reduce tomato imports has been launched in Ghana

Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku has announced the launch of the Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI). The event took place in Anlogbe (Volta Region). The program is being implemented by the Ministry in partnership with FarmMate Africa and is designed to establish a reliable year-round supply chain, reduce imports, create jobs, and enter export markets.

As Eric Opoku noted, the domestic tomato deficit during the off-season (from December to July) reaches about 300,000 tonnes. The first phase of GHATSI for the 2026/2027 period will cover more than 10,000 acres across 35 districts in 10 regions (over 100 communities) and is expected to secure a harvest of about 100,000 tonnes of tomatoes. In the future, volumes are planned to be increased to 400,000 tonnes per year from an area of over 40,000 acres.

The program will provide farmers with access to land, irrigation, high-quality inputs, technical support, financing, insurance, and guaranteed markets. FarmMate Africa is acting as the implementation partner, while financing for farmers will be provided by Pan African Savings and Loans (Ecobank Group). The support package for farmers is estimated at approximately 20,000 Ghanaian cedi per acre. In addition, a packing facility for sorting, grading, packaging, and marketing produce is planned to be built in Anlogbe.

Head of the Anlogbe District Assembly Sandra S. Kpedor pointed to the need to support research into climate-resilient cultivars, lower fertilizer prices, and dredge the lagoon to protect against flooding. According to estimates, the first phase of the initiative will create more than 150,000 direct and indirect jobs, including about 50,000 permanent ones.