President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to rehabilitate the Pwalugu Tomato Factory in the Upper East Region as part of government’s efforts to boost tomato production and expand agro-processing.
The President said the factory would become a major processing hub for tomatoes produced under an expanded cultivation programme in the region, helping to add value to locally grown produce and reduce reliance on imported food products.
Speaking during a citizens’ engagement in Navrongo on Friday, August 14, 2026, President Mahama said agriculture and agro-processing would receive significant investment under the government’s New Economy programme.
He explained that the programme would focus on seven key sectors of the economy, with government planning to invest $2.5 billion annually in the sectors over the next four years.
“The biggest is agriculture and agro-processing. And that’s where the Upper East comes in. Agriculture and agro-processing are going to take 50% of that $10 billion investment. So $5 billion is going to go into agriculture and agro-processing,” he said.
President Mahama assured residents that the Upper East Region would benefit from the planned investment, particularly through the expansion of irrigation infrastructure to support year-round farming.
“And I can assure you the Upper East region is going to get its fair share of that $5 billion. So that will cover creating more irrigation facilities so that our young people, even in the rainy season or the dry season, would have the opportunity to be able to produce,” he said.
The President said government had already begun interventions to revitalise tomato production in the region through the tomato revitalisation project.
“We have the tomato revitalisation project that is taking place here,” he said, adding that the region had the potential to produce enough vegetables to supply the domestic market.
According to President Mahama, government plans to bring about 2,500 acres of land under tomato cultivation, with the Pwalugu factory serving as the main processing facility.
“We can bring in 2,500 acres of land under tomato production. And the Pwalugu tomato factory is going to be the epicenter of it. We’re going to rehabilitate the Pwalugu tomato factory so that we can process the tomatoes that Upper East is producing to feed the rest of the country,” he stated.
Beyond tomato production, President Mahama announced plans to complete the Tamne irrigation dam to support dry-season farming in four districts within the Bawku area.
He said the project would create opportunities for increased onion production, particularly because the area has a comparative advantage in cultivating the crop.
“And so we’ll finish the Tamni irrigation dam so that the four districts in the Bawku area can also go into their dry season production. Especially onion production,” he said.
President Mahama said expanding local onion production would help reduce Ghana’s dependence on imports from Niger.
“We want to cut down the amount of onions we import from Niger. And if we put enough land under irrigation, we should be able to import, substitute, and produce our own onions. And so government is going to support that,” he added.
The President said the combined investment in irrigation, crop production and agro-processing was intended to create jobs, strengthen food security and increase the contribution of agriculture to Ghana’s economy.
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