The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has entered into a strategic partnership with FarmMate Limited to boost domestic tomato production and reduce Ghana’s reliance on imports, under a new public-private initiative aimed at achieving national self-sufficiency.

The agreement, signed in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2026, outlines a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework in which the government will provide policy support and coordination, while FarmMate leads production, processing and value chain operations.

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, described the partnership as a decisive intervention to cut down the country’s dependence on imported tomatoes and stabilise the local market.

He said the initiative would also address post-harvest losses, estimated at about 30 per cent, while creating a ready market for farmers to encourage increased vegetable production.

“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 said.

The Minister added that the project would have a far-reaching impact on employment, with the potential to support tens of thousands of farmers and create more than 300,000 jobs across the value chain, particularly for young people.

He further noted that the initiative would “ensure guaranteed off-take for farmers, improves incomes, productivity, and confidence to scale, deliver consistent quality supply for traders, processors, and consumers”.

Mr Opoku also encouraged households and educational institutions, especially secondary schools, to embrace backyard gardening to supplement vegetable consumption and help stabilise prices.

For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of FarmMate Limited, Mr Sena Amevor, highlighted the scale of Ghana’s reliance on imported tomatoes, estimating the annual import bill at about $500 million.

He said the country faces a supply deficit of nearly one million tonnes during the lean season between December and July, despite experiencing post-harvest losses of about 150,000 tonnes during peak production periods due to limited processing and storage capacity.

Mr Amevor noted that the situation had been exacerbated by export restrictions from Burkina Faso, exposing structural weaknesses in Ghana’s tomato value chain.

He explained that since 2021, the company had implemented an integrated out-grower model across more than 60 farming communities, combining production with processing and distribution to ensure year-round supply.

Under the new PPP arrangement, he said, FarmMate and its partners would scale up operations significantly, with processing facilities expected to handle up to 480 tonnes per day.

“This production scale will be complemented by the establishment and operationalisation of combined processing facilities with a total capacity of 20 tonnes per hour or 480 tonnes per day, delivering an estimated 200,000 tons of 100 per cent tomato puree annually,” he stated.

The partnership is expected to strengthen Ghana’s food security, reduce import pressures on the economy and position the country towards long-term self-sufficiency in tomato production.