Tomato farmers in Agogo, located in the Asante Akyem North Municipality of the Ashanti Region, have renewed calls on government to establish a tomato processing factory in the area to sustain their livelihoods and reduce post-harvest losses.
Their appeal follows a recent intervention by government to purchase 1,000 boxes of tomatoes from local farmers for distribution to Senior High Schools within the municipality.
While the farmers acknowledged the gesture as a step towards ensuring fair value for their produce, they argued that such interventions are only temporary and do not address the bigger challenge of wastage.
Speaking to Adom News correspondent, Isaac Amoako, the farmers stressed that countless quantities of their harvested tomatoes go bad during peak seasons due to the absence of storage and processing facilities.
“We appreciate government’s efforts to support us by buying tomatoes for the schools, but this is not enough. Every year, we lose huge portions of our produce because there’s no factory to process them. If we had a processing plant here in Agogo, our work would be more profitable and sustainable,” one farmer explained.
They added that a tomato processing factory would not only guarantee them a stable market but also create employment opportunities for the youth while adding value to Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The farmers are therefore urging government and private investors to collaborate in establishing a tomato processing plant under initiatives such as the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme, which they believe will transform the local economy and make tomato farming more attractive.
Agogo remains one of Ghana’s major tomato-producing hubs, but without the necessary infrastructure, farmers continue to struggle with price fluctuations and post-harvest losses.
Source: Adomonline.com
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