Ghana is targeting annual national tomato production of 400,000 tonnes under the Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative (GHATSI), as the government moves to reduce the country’s dependence on imported tomatoes.

The initiative, a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and FarmMate LTD, will be officially launched on Tuesday, September 15, at the Anlo Senior High School Park (ANSECO) in Anloga, Volta Region.

The launch, scheduled for 10:00 a.m., will be led by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku.

According to MoFA, the initiative is designed to establish an integrated, year-round domestic tomato value chain.

“Despite the country’s favourable land, water and climate, Ghana currently spends over USD 400 million annually importing fresh tomatoes and paste, largely driven by the December-to-July off-season deficit,” the ministry said.

GHATSI will seek to address the production gap by linking farmers and land to production enhancement, structured finance, multi-peril crop insurance, aggregation, industrial processing and guaranteed market access.

“The full rollout targets annual national tomato production of 400,000 tonnes,” the ministry said.

The first phase, covering the 2026/2027 production cycle, aims to supply approximately 100,000 tonnes, covering more than 10,000 acres across 40 districts, 12 regions and over 100 communities.

MoFA said the initiative is expected to help end import dependency and guarantee a stable year-round supply of tomatoes.

It will also seek to “raise and secure farmer incomes through contract farming”, create sustainable youth employment across the value chain, eliminate avoidable post-harvest losses and reduce risks associated with climate and pest shocks.

Under the Farmer Enhancement Package, participating farmers will receive financed agro-inputs, irrigation support, extension and technical services, and multi-peril crop insurance.

The ministry said repayment will be settled directly at off-take.

The launch is expected to bring together government officials, regional authorities, traditional leaders, farmers, financial institutions, insurers, technical partners and the media.