More than 240 tons of freshly harvested tomatoes from Ghana's Upper East Region have been supplied to markets in Accra under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program. The deliveries are intended to address recurrent tomato shortages and price volatility, particularly during the dry season.
The tomatoes were supplied to Agbogbloshie Market, the CMB Railway Market, Palace Mall, and Accra City Hotel. The initiative is implemented under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, funded by the Government of Norway and coordinated by the World Bank. It focuses on supporting dry-season tomato cultivation to stabilise year-round supply and reduce reliance on imports.
The consignment was delivered through the West Africa Food System Resilience Program in partnership with agribusiness firm FarmMate Ltd.
Mr Opoku Agyeman Clinton, Sustainable and Compliance Officer at Accra City Hotel, told The Ghanaian Times that the hotel chose to source tomatoes from the FSRP–FarmMate project due to food safety considerations. He noted that the hotel is certified under ISO 22000, which incorporates Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
According to Mr Clinton, the hotel conducted a supplier audit at FarmMate's facilities and found its production processes compliant with required food safety standards. He added that the tomatoes arrived firm and unbruised, and that chefs and clients had commented on their quality, supporting menu consistency.
At Palace Mall, Bassam Taleb, Head of the Fresh Purchasing Department, said the freshness and hygienic condition of the tomatoes had contributed to increased customer activity. He stated that FarmMate met procurement standards related to seed selection, chemical-free production practices, and approved irrigation water sources. Mr Taleb also called for further government investment to expand the availability of chemical-free produce.
Traders in Accra's open markets also responded to the supply. At the CMB Railway Market, bulk trader Naomi Atuahene said the tomatoes could last up to five days without refrigeration, performing better than imported tomatoes, particularly those from Burkina Faso. She said the supply showed Ghana's capacity to meet domestic demand with locally produced tomatoes and called for similar initiatives to be expanded.
At Agbogbloshie Market, trader Hannah Owusu pointed to lower prices and improved hygiene. She said demand had increased, with buyers purchasing larger volumes due to the freshness and cleanliness of the produce. She encouraged traders and hospitality businesses to source locally to reduce reliance on chemically treated imports.
The FSRP–FarmMate partnership stated it will continue supplying locally produced, chemical-free tomatoes during the dry season to help ease market shortages.
Source: Ghanaian Times
