The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has signed a landmark Public-Private Partnership aimed at tackling Ghana’s tomato imports by achieving national self-sufficiency.
On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the agreement was signed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and FarmMate Limited to boost domestic tomato production.
Reports by Graphic stated, “The initiative is expected to expand tomato cultivation from about 1,000 acres currently under FarmMate’s operations to 40,000 acres nationwide. At full scale, it targets the production of 400,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually, supported by processing capacity of 20 tonnes per hour and the delivery of 200,000 tonnes of tomato puree each year”.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, stated, “The implementation of the programme will significantly reduce Ghana’s import dependence, address price volatility, reduce losses during glut periods and ensure availability during lean periods”.
He further noted that the initiative would “ensure guaranteed off-take for farmers, improve incomes, productivity, and confidence to scale, deliver consistent quality supply for traders, processors, and consumers”.
In related news, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has welcomed the decision by Burkina Faso to lift its suspension on fresh tomato exports.
In a statement on April 2, 2026, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry highlighted that one of five key meetings by the Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare and her Burkinabe counterparts led to the lifting of the ban.
“This development is a positive outcome of ongoing bilateral engagements between Ghana and Burkina Faso,” said the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry.
They further disclosed that they will continue to collaborate with Burkinabe authorities and local stakeholders to maintain a smooth trading environment, adding that efforts to strengthen Ghana’s domestic tomato value chain are also being intensified.
The news comes after the Burkina Faso government has announced an immediate nationwide halt of tomato exports, raising concerns for Ghana.
In a joint statement issued, the Burkinabè government banned the export of fresh tomatoes.
The statement issued by the Burkinabè government in Ouagadougou says the suspension is effective immediately and will remain “until further notice,” to prioritise local supply for domestic processing industries.
The directive was signed by the Burkinabè trade and agriculture ministries, which have also halted the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE).
Reports suggest traders have been given a two-week window to complete ongoing transactions.
The decision by the Burkinabè government is expected to have immediate implications for Ghana’s food supply, with Ghana heavily dependent on tomato imports from Burkina Faso to supplement local production.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Agriculture Minister, John Dumelo, has said that within three or four years, Ghana should be self-sufficient in terms of tomato production.
John Dumelo urged the Ghanaian farmers to intensify dry-season farming to boost local production of tomatoes.
According to John Dumelo, Ghana may not immediately stop sourcing tomatoes from Burkina Faso, but it must take steps to reduce its reliance on imported tomatoes.
The Deputy Agric Minister added that sustained investment in local farming could change the situation in the medium term.
See the post below:
Ghana signs partnership deal with FarmMate Ltd. to produce 600,000 tons of tomatoes annually…#GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/l0J1ZA2raa
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) April 16, 2026