In a bid to end Ghana’s reliance on Burkina Faso for Tomato supply, Farmmate Limited who signed a private partnership agreement with the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-business to produce enough tomato for Ghanian consumption has started engaging farmers in the Upper East Region to kick start the project.
The agreement requires Farmmate to develop about 40,000 acres of tomato annually to supply not less than 400,000 tonnes of tomato annually.
Farmmate Limited has therefore commenced the first phase of the agreement with 10,000 acres of tomato across Ghana.
According to the World bank, Ghana has a deficit of between 800,000 to 1,000,000 tonnes of tomato annually and much of it comes from Burkina Faso and other neighbouring African countries.
In the Upper East Region, Farmmate is targeting 1500 acres in three municipalities and districts, namely; Kassena Nankana municipality, Talensi and Bawku West districts with 500 acres each. At least 500 farmers from each of the three localities are expected to benefit from the arrangement.
Farmers will be given the right variety of seeds that the market will accept.
Farmmate will also distribute Agro-inputs to farmers to meet the quality that can compete with any variety on the international market.
To achieve the best quality of tomato irrespective of the quality of seeds given to the farmers, Farmmate limited is putting the farmers under technical assistance to ensure good quality products.
This tomato agreement is a dry season production and irrigation driven initiative with the intention to maintain absolute sustainability and to supply the vegetable all year round.
It is to prevent shortages that will result in traders going back to Burkina Faso or raising the prices of tomato higher.
Farmmate Limited is working with financial partners including the Pan African Savings and Loans who are responsible for giving out loans to farmers to procure the seeds, inputs and technical assistance through Farmmate limited and a total amount of GHC30,000,000 has been earmarked to support the farmers across Ghana to produce the needed tonage of tomatoes.
The Chief Executive Officer of Farmmate Limited, Sena Amevor has commended the government for the private partnership agreement and said this will go a long way to end Ghana’s dependence on Burkina Faso for tomatoes.
“We are here today to comment on preparation towards dry season production for the Upper East Region. We are always faced with a big issue.
We have the lands, we have the water, we have the people, we always say, but yet we always have to go to Burkina Faso to buy our tomatoes. There is a huge potential undoubtedly in the Upper East. Our presence today is to continue what we have already begun some years ago.
We are scheduled to start our 1,500 acre production with Talensi, Pwalugu, Wikongo, Pusu-Namongo. These are the various communities under Talensi and then we also go to Kassena Nankana municipality which will cover the ICOUR, Navrongo and others, then the Bawku West which is the Zebilla areas and etc”, he stated.
Mr. Amevor disclosed that the country will see massive improvement in the tomato production and supply which will translate to a vibrant economy because all trade receipts from tomato that Burkina Faso and other countries used to benefit will remain in Ghana and the security of the traders will be guaranteed and secure.
A representative from the Pan Africa Savings and loans expressed appreciation to the government of Ghana and Farmmate for making them partners in this agreement.
By Tanko Mohammed Rabiu
