The Irrigation Company of Upper Region Limited (ICOUR) has earmarked 500 hectares of land under the Tono and Vea Irrigation Schemes for tomato cultivation as part of efforts to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes and strengthen domestic food production.
Dr Dominic Atogumsekiya Anarigide, Managing Director of ICOUR, said the initiative was aimed at restoring the company’s reputation as a major producer of quality tomatoes while supporting the Government’s food security and import substitution agenda.
He disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of the inauguration of a nine-member Board of Directors of ICOUR in Bolgatanga.
Ghana currently spends between GH¢650 million and GH¢760 million annually on fresh tomato imports, in addition to more than US$400 million on processed tomato paste and concentrate.
The country’s reliance on imports was further exposed in 2025 and early 2026 when tomato supplies from Burkina Faso were disrupted following the country’s decision to prioritise domestic agro-processing and attacks on Ghanaian tomato traders that claimed eight lives.
“ICOUR was known nationally and even internationally as a hub for producing tomatoes, not only tomatoes but quality tomatoes for the region and the country. But for some time now, we have been doing only rice production, with some pepper and other crops,” Dr Anarigide said.
He explained that the decision to dedicate 500 hectares to tomato production followed a directive from Mr Eric Opoku, Minister for Food and Agriculture, to boost local production and reduce the country’s import bill.
“We have a plan to revamp tomato production. This year, the Minister directed that we should dedicate about 500 hectares to tomato production following what happened in Burkina Faso,” he said.
Dr Anarigide said ICOUR had already secured organic fertiliser for the project, with about 6,000 bags expected to support cultivation at both the Tono and Vea irrigation schemes.
He said the company was introducing a new production model that would guarantee markets for farmers before they began cultivation.
Under the arrangement, farmers would be linked with off-takers who would sign purchase agreements, provide part of the production inputs and buy the harvest upon maturity.
“We are now anchoring the farmers with an off-taker. The buyers will come, sit with the farmers, sign an agreement, provide part of the inputs and they will be the ones to off-take,” he said.
Dr Anarigide noted that the model would eliminate the uncertainty farmers previously faced after harvest by ensuring they knew their buyers and market requirements before production commenced.
He added that the off-takers would also guide farmers on production standards to ensure the tomatoes met market specifications.
ICOUR, he said, was engaging stakeholders to identify high-yielding tomato varieties that met consumer and industrial demand while drawing lessons from Burkina Faso’s tomato production model.
Mr Ibrahim Tia, North East Regional Minister, who inaugurated the ICOUR Board on behalf of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, urged the company to revive large-scale tomato production to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imports.
He charged the newly inaugurated board to provide strategic leadership to improve the resilience of the Tono and Vea irrigation schemes and enhance agricultural productivity.
