Ghana is set to significantly reduce its dependence on imported tomatoes following a new public-private partnership between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and FarmMate Limited.
The agreement is expected to scale up tomato farming across about 40,000 acres under an expanded out-grower scheme aimed at boosting local production and strengthening the vegetable value chain.
According to a statement from FarmMate, the initiative targets the production of about 400,000 metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually, helping to close the country’s current supply gap.
Ghana’s annual tomato demand is estimated at about 805,000 metric tonnes, while current production stands at roughly 510,000 metric tonnes, leaving a shortfall of nearly 300,000 metric tonnes that is often met through imports.
The project will also support tomato processing through facilities with a combined daily capacity of 480 metric tonnes, expected to produce around 200,000 metric tonnes of tomato puree each year.
FarmMate said the programme is designed to ensure year-round supply, reduce post-harvest losses, and create a more stable market for farmers and processors.
To support the initiative, the project will introduce post-harvest infrastructure such as packhouses, pre-processing centres, and logistics hubs to improve storage, handling, and distribution.
The company estimates that more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created across farming, aggregation, transport, processing, and distribution.
The agreement also includes a guaranteed off-take system, which will provide farmers with reliable markets for their produce and help improve income stability.
FarmMate has called on farmers, financial institutions, processors, and development partners to support the expansion of the initiative across the tomato value chain.
