Ghana dry-season tomato harvest grows under FSRP and FarmMate partnership

GHANA – Ghana has recorded a first-round dry-season tomato harvest of about 240 tons in the Upper East Region under a partnership between the West Africa Food System Resilience Project and agribusiness firm FarmMate Ltd.

The harvest targets supply gaps and sharp price changes that often affect the tomato market between December and May, when production usually drops. The program works under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with support from the Government of Norway and coordination by the World Bank.

Farmers in the project grow tomatoes using climate-smart practices that suit dry-season conditions. The support package includes improved seed varieties, blended fertilisers with micronutrients, organic manure, crop protection products, and regular extension advice. FarmMate adds close field supervision, resident agronomists, and a guaranteed market for harvested tomatoes.

Produce from farms in the Upper East Region reaches markets in the Greater Accra Region within 24 to 36 hours. Key destinations include Agbogbloshie, the Central Business Market, Palace Mall, and Shoprite outlets.

The joint work with FarmMate covers about 81 hectares across the country, with roughly 45 hectares in the Upper East Region. Around 100 farmers take part in areas such as Zebila in the Bawku West District, Pwalugu in the Talensi District, the Tono Irrigation Scheme, and Navrongo in the Kasena Nankana District. Other project sites include Ningo-Prampram, Okere, Kwahu East, the Akumadan Irrigation Scheme, and the Asunafo South District.

Beyond this partnership, the wider FSRP Tomato Support Program runs in 20 districts across six regions. About 1,500 farmers participate, with women making up 40 per cent of the group.

Fair pricing and market access

District Director of Agriculture for Bawku West, Diana Akumanue, said the marketing system has improved farmer confidence. “We are very happy because the tomatoes are weighed and farmers are paid according to weight, unlike the old system where market queens determined prices,” she said.

Beneficiary farmer Asigma Awafo also pointed to income gains. “For the first time, marketers are weighing our tomatoes and paying us fairly. It has increased our income compared to the past,” she said.

Current yields stand at about 10 tons per hectare, with expectations of reaching 15 tons per hectare by the end of the 2025 dry season. The overall target of the program is 6,000 tons of tomatoes.

FSRP Project Officer Dr Gabriel Owusu noted that tomato remains the most consumed vegetable in the country, even as imports continue to fill a large share of demand. FarmMate highlighted ongoing production pressures, including grazing, fencing gaps, water access, and pest control during the dry season.

Tomatoes account for about 40 per cent of vegetable spending in Ghana. Only 34 per cent of the 1.4 million tons consumed each year comes from local farms, a gap that fuels imports, post-harvest losses of up to 60 per cent, and average yields of 8.3 tons per hectare.

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