Ghana can currently only produce 30% of the fresh tomatoes needed to meet domestic demand, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI). Dr. Michael Kwabena Osei, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Horticulture Division at CSIR-CRI, highlighted the urgent need for increased funding to boost research and help meet the nation’s demand of 1.2 billion tons of fresh tomatoes. The shortfall has led to high importation and reliance on canned tomatoes, which pose health risks due to high starch content, contributing to non-communicable diseases like diabetes.
To address this, Dr. Osei urged the public to reduce their consumption of canned tomatoes and encouraged farmers to adopt new drought-resistant tomato varieties developed by CSIR-CRI, including the “CRI Kwabena-Kwabena” and “Kopia” types. These new varieties offer high yields, early maturity, and resistance to blight and drought, producing up to 20 tons per hectare. They are part of the Technology for African Agriculture Transfer (TAAT 2) project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and supported by the World Vegetable Center, which aims to improve tomato production and resilience in Ghana.
However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, unfavorable policies, and climate change have hindered the growth of the vegetable sector. Alhassan Zaato, a Research Associate at World Veg, called for more government investment in vegetable farming, urging the release of funds to support CSIR-CRI’s research and enhance the country’s overall vegetable production capabilities.
