Farmate Limited Partners Government to Cultivate 1,500 Acres of Tomatoes in Upper East Region
Farmate Limited has entered into an agreement with the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), to cultivate tomatoes across 1,500 acres in three districts of the Upper East Region. The initiative aims to boost domestic tomato production and reduce Ghana’s heavy dependence on imports from Burkina Faso.
The project will be implemented in the Talensi District, Kasena Nankana Municipal, and Bawku West District, with each district expected to develop 500 acres for tomato cultivation.
Under the agreement, the initiative is expected to benefit about 500 farmers in each district, creating a major platform for farmers to engage in commercial tomato production while improving their livelihoods.
Farmate Limited says the project is designed to strengthen Ghana’s tomato value chain, particularly during the dry season, when domestic production drops sharply and traders travel to Burkina Faso to source tomatoes for the Ghanaian market.
Boosting Year-Round Tomato Production
Farmate plans to promote dry-season irrigation farming to ensure tomatoes are produced throughout the year rather than relying mainly on the rainy season. This approach is expected to reduce seasonal shortages and stabilise tomato availability on the Ghanaian market.
Farmate Limited will also supply participating farmers with improved tomato seed varieties that are widely accepted in the market, while providing technical assistance to help farmers adopt best production practices for higher yields and better quality.
The company believes that access to improved varieties, technical expertise, and irrigation facilities will be crucial in transforming tomato production from small-scale farming into a more reliable commercial venture.
Farmers to Receive Financial and Technical Support
To address one of the major challenges confronting farmers—access to finance—Farmate Limited is partnering with financial institutions, including Pan Africa Savings and Loans, to provide loan facilities for participating farmers.
This financing arrangement is expected to help farmers acquire essential inputs and meet production costs without being constrained by limited capital.
Farmers will also receive technical support throughout the production cycle to improve productivity, ensure quality produce, and meet market standards.
Targeting Ghana’s Tomato Import Dependence
The Chief Executive Director of Farmate Limited, Mr. Sena Amevor, commended the Government of Ghana for partnering with the company on the initiative. According to him, the partnership has the potential to significantly transform Ghana’s tomato industry and reduce the country’s longstanding dependence on tomatoes sourced from Burkina Faso.
Mr. Amevor said the project would strengthen domestic production and ensure Ghanaian farmers receive the support needed to produce enough tomatoes to meet local demand.
“This partnership with the government will go a long way towards ending Ghana’s reliance on Burkina Faso for tomatoes,” — Mr. Amevor
He assured Ghanaians that Farmate Limited is committed to contributing to a major improvement in tomato production in the coming years and will work closely with farmers and partners to achieve the project’s objectives.
A Boost for Farmers and the Local Economy
The development of 1,500 acres across the three districts is expected to create economic opportunities for hundreds of farmers and other actors along the tomato value chain. Increased production will benefit input suppliers, transport operators, aggregators, traders, processors, and other businesses in the agricultural sector.
The project also comes at a time when Ghana is seeking practical measures to increase domestic agricultural production, improve food security, and reduce reliance on imported food commodities.
With irrigation farming, improved seeds, technical assistance, and access to agricultural financing forming key components of the initiative, Farmate Limited believes the project can help establish a more sustainable and commercially viable tomato production system in the Upper East Region.
The ultimate objective is to ensure that Ghana produces more of its own tomatoes, creates stronger opportunities for farmers, and gradually reduces the need to cross borders in search of tomatoes to satisfy domestic demand.