The agriculture ministry is embarking on efforts to reduce Ghana’s reliance on tomato imports, outlining an aggressive expansion in domestic production and new processing capacity aimed at stabilising supply and prices.
Speaking on recent supply concerns, Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku said the situation is “not that alarming,” pointing to pilot projects launched last year across dozens of farming communities that are now being scaled up significantly.
The ministry according to the minister, worked with more than 80 communities to cultivate about 1,000 acres in 2025. That figure is expected to rise sharply to 40,000 hectares this year, backed by growing farmer participation after initial scepticism over government-backed market access.
“Having worked with us for a year, they are now convinced,” the minister said, noting that farmers are expanding production after seeing buyers reliably linked to their output.
A key pillar of the strategy is aggregation and processing. A private partner, Farm Mates, has set up a processing and distribution centre near Accra’s Legon Bypass, combining a fresh produce market with a facility producing tomato puree. Unlike traditional paste, the puree is minimally processed and can be stored for over a year, helping to smooth seasonal shortages.
The ministry said a 200-acre farm linked to the initiative is due for harvest within days, with produce expected to flow directly into the market. Officials argue that combining fresh supply with longer-life processed products will reduce volatility and improve availability.
Ghana’s tomato market has long been characterised by supply gaps, forcing traders to import from neighbouring countries, particularly during off-peak seasons. The minister acknowledged that demand remains strong, but said the core issue is insufficient domestic production.
To address this, he said government is widening participation beyond commercial farmers through its Feed Ghana Programme. The initiative encourages households to grow food crops, including tomatoes, to ease pressure on national demand and reduce food costs.
According to the government, under the programme, more than 400 secondary schools have been enrolled to begin tomato cultivation, primarily for their own consumption. The ministry is also distributing seeds and inputs to households, institutions and smallholder farmers.
“Whoever wants to take advantage of the situation can just mobilise and be in that space,” the minister said, positioning tomato farming as an open opportunity for new entrants. The broader goal is to eliminate structural import dependence. If fully implemented, the strategy could reshape a market that has historically relied on cross-border supply, with implications for food inflation, agribusiness investment and rural incomes.
Still, execution risks remain. Scaling from pilot acreage to tens of thousands of hectares will require consistent input supply, logistics coordination and sustained private sector participation. For now, government is betting that a mix of production expansion, processing capacity and decentralised cultivation can close the gap between demand and supply.
