Households in Ghana have been encouraged to start backyard tomato farming as a temporary solution to help reduce pressure on the market amid the ongoing shortage of fresh tomatoes.
Mr Senyo Kpelly, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical AgriFoods Ltd, a Tamale-based agro-processing company working with farmers to improve food security, said the shortage was likely to affect many households, especially in urban areas where people depended entirely on market supply.
He explained that small-scale backyard farming could help families reduce their dependence on market tomatoes and protect themselves from rising prices.
Mr Kpelly said even small gardens could produce enough tomatoes to support household consumption during periods of shortage.
He noted that the current situation showed the importance of encouraging more people to grow vegetables at home, especially in cities where food prices continued to rise.
He said backyard farming could also help reduce pressure on the national food system while government worked on long-term solutions to improve vegetable production.
