Tomato variety not a challenge to Ghana’s production — Agronomist
He attributed the declining interest of farmers in tomato cultivation not to issues of seed variety or quality, but to persistent marketing challenges.
An agronomist at the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), Daniel Akansake, has dismissed claims by some tomato traders that the varieties produced in Ghana, particularly in Northern Ghana, are inferior, insisting that the country grows standard and even superior tomato varieties.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday, February 24, Akansake described as unfounded the assertion that local tomato varieties are of poor quality, a claim often cited by traders who cross into neighbouring Burkina Faso to purchase tomatoes.
“The excuse that the quality of our tomatoes is not good is simply not true. We have standard varieties that have been tested at the Tono Irrigation Scheme and in other parts of the Upper East Region. In fact, some of our varieties are superior to those in neighbouring countries,” he stated.
Akansake revealed that efforts had even been made to align local production with traders’ preferences. According to him, a farmer once engaged Burkinabè growers to cultivate a variety popular in Burkina Faso at the Tono Irrigation Scheme to satisfy the taste and market demands of Ghanaian traders.
“Despite that effort, the traders still ignored the locally produced tomatoes and crossed over to Burkina Faso to buy,” he noted.
He attributed the declining interest of farmers in tomato cultivation not to issues of seed variety or quality, but to persistent marketing challenges.
“In the past, the major challenges were pests, diseases, and lack of ready markets. While progress has been made in addressing production constraints, the most pressing issue now is the market,” he explained.
Akansake stressed that Northern Ghana has the capacity to produce sufficient tomatoes for local consumption and export if the right market structures and support systems are put in place.
He called for deliberate efforts to address marketing bottlenecks to boost farmer confidence and strengthen Ghana’s tomato value chain.
Mike 105.3FM | Navrongo | David Adapuna
