FSRP–FarmMate partnership boosts dry-season tomato production in Upper East

Dry-season tomato farming in the Upper East Region has received a major boost following the successful first-round harvest under a partnership between the Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) and agribusiness firm FarmMate Ltd, with farmers producing an estimated 240 tonnes of tomatoes.

The harvest, recorded across several farming communities, signals renewed confidence in efforts to address Ghana’s persistent tomato supply gaps, particularly during the dry season when prices typically spike due to shortages.

The collaboration, implemented under the FSRP by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, forms part of a broader strategy to revive year-round tomato production and reduce the country’s dependence on imports. The programme is supported by the Government of Norway, with technical coordination from the World Bank.

Through the initiative, participating farmers receive climate-smart production support, including improved seed varieties, fertilisers fortified with micronutrients, organic manure, pesticides, and regular extension services. FarmMate enhances this support with close field monitoring and guaranteed offtake arrangements, enabling harvested tomatoes to be transported swiftly, mostly within 24 to 36 hours, to major markets in Accra, such as Agbogbloshie, CMB, and selected shopping malls.

Currently, the FSRP–FarmMate tomato project spans approximately 200 acres nationwide, with 110 acres located in the Upper East Region, across communities including Zebilla, Pwalugu, Tono, and Navrongo. About 100 farmers are directly involved in the partnership.

Beyond this collaboration, the wider FSRP tomato intervention spans 20 districts across six regions, engaging approximately 1,500 farmers, 40 percent of whom are women. Average yields have reached about 10 tonnes per hectare, with projections indicating increases to as much as 15 tonnes per hectare by the end of the 2025 dry season. Overall, the programme is targeting a total output of 6,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes.

Speaking on the impact of the initiative, the Bawku West District Director of Agriculture, Diana Akumanue, described the guaranteed offtake arrangement as a breakthrough for farmers, particularly in reducing post-harvest losses.

She noted that FarmMate’s use of a transparent weighing and payment system has eliminated common market inefficiencies.

“Farmers are paid based on weight, not arbitrary heaps. Prices are agreed collectively, and payments are prompt. This has significantly reduced post-harvest losses,” she said.

FSRP Tomato Initiative Coordinator, Dr. Gabriel Owusu, said the intervention was timely, given Ghana’s high tomato consumption relative to domestic output. He explained that while national demand stands at about 1.4 million tonnes annually, local production remains far below this level, leading to heavy imports.

“This initiative is designed to close the production gap, stabilise prices, and strengthen resilience, especially during the dry season,” Dr. Owusu stated, adding that lessons from previous marketing challenges influenced the decision to partner with FarmMate to ensure reliable off-take for both fresh markets and processing.

The Upper East Regional Crops Officer, Yakubu Mohammed Awal Mei-goro, also described the current harvest as one of the most successful in recent years, attributing the outcome to improved agronomic practices, access to quality inputs, and the assurance of a ready market.

According to him, the profitability recorded this season is expected to encourage more farmers, particularly women and youth, to venture into tomato cultivation in the coming season, with a corresponding expansion in acreage.

Tomatoes account for about 40 per cent of household vegetable expenditure in Ghana, yet only about a third of annual consumption is met through local production. Challenges such as poor seed quality, pest and disease pressure, post-harvest losses, and limited storage infrastructure have long constrained the sector.

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