Ghana Targets 100,000 Tonnes of Tomatoes in New Initiative
Ghana Targets 100,000 Tonnes of Tomatoes Under New Self-Sufficiency Initiative
A new initiative launched this week is targeting 100,000 tonnes of tomato production from more than 10,000 acres of farmland.
The Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI) was launched at Anloga in the Volta Region on Tuesday, September 15. The plan is to roll it out across 35 districts spanning 10 regions, with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) implementing it in partnership with FarmMate Limited.
The numbers explain why this matters. Ghana’s annual tomato demand sits at around 805,000 metric tonnes, while domestic production currently hovers near 510,000 metric tonnes leaving a shortfall of nearly 300,000 metric tonnes every year.
Making things worse, a big chunk of what Ghana does produce never makes it to market. MoFA data shows roughly 30 percent of locally grown tomatoes, about 153,000 metric tonnes, are lost after harvest due to weak post-harvest systems.
Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku captured the frustrating contradiction at the heart of the problem. Shortages tend to hit hardest between December and July, yet large volumes of tomatoes rot away at other points in the year simply because the systems to preserve and move them aren’t in place.
We experience scarcity at one point and waste at another, Opoku said.
GHATSI is designed to fix that imbalance by building a reliable, year-round domestic tomato value chain connecting farmers to irrigation, inputs, financing, insurance, processing, logistics, and, crucially, guaranteed markets.
The 100,000-tonne target is just the starting point. Government plans to progressively scale production up to around 400,000 tonnes annually from more than 40,000 acres, with a portion of that eventually processed into tomato purée and other value-added products.
For participating farmers, the support package is substantial. Each will have access to production financing estimated at GH¢20,000 per acre, covering inputs, land preparation, soil testing, technical assistance, insurance, and other production needs.
That financing gets repaid through a structured off-take arrangement after harvest, with contracted buyers purchasing produce directly from farmers meaning growers aren’t left scrambling for a market once the crop is ready.
Farmers also receive multi-peril crop insurance valued at GH¢50,000 per acre, offering real protection if an unforeseen event wipes out a farm.
There’s even a longer-term angle built in. The programme introduces a pension arrangement where an agreed portion of farmers’ income is set aside after harvest, giving them some financial security heading into retirement.
Opoku also addressed infrastructure, announcing that government will rehabilitate all 22 existing irrigation facilities in the Volta Region by the end of 2027 to support dry-season tomato farming and other agricultural work.
On top of that, two new excavators will be provided to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, specifically to help dredge lagoons, streams, and rivers for irrigation purposes.
The first phase alone is expected to create more than 150,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Ultimately, government’s aim goes beyond just growing more tomatoes it’s about reducing seasonal shortages, cutting post-harvest losses, and building stronger, more dependable links between farmers, processors, and the markets waiting to buy from them.
