By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kwadaso (Ash), March 09, GNA – The Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI), in partnership with the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA Ghana), has launched a project to enhance tomato production in Ghana through climate-smart greenhouse technologies.
The two-year project, titled “Establishing Climate-Smart Greenhouse Technologies for Sustainable Tomato Production in Ghana,” is being funded by the Korean government through RDA-KOPIA.
The initiative will evaluate new tomato lines from the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) at CSIR-CRI in Kumasi and the KOPIA Center in Ghana.
Selected tomato lines will be cultivated in greenhouses in the Ashanti, Bono and Volta Regions to support the training of selected tomato farmers.
The project seeks to identify high-performing, disease-resistant tomato varieties, promote innovative greenhouse technologies and assess the economic and environmental impacts of greenhouse tomato production in Ghana.
Researchers also aim to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to produce high-quality greenhouse tomatoes.
The technologies are expected to increase farmers’ yields, reduce disease incidence and improve profitability.
Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, Project Leader and Tomato Breeder at CSIR-CRI, speaking at the project inception meeting at Kwadaso near Kumasi, said greenhouse tomato production had emerged in recent years as a promising alternative with the potential for higher yields, improved quality and increased profitability.
He noted, however, that despite its potential, greenhouse tomato production in Ghana was still in its infancy, with many smallholder farmers lacking the knowledge, skills and resources needed to adopt the technology.
Dr Osei, a Principal Research Scientist, said tomato was one of the most widely consumed vegetables in Ghana, with an annual demand of about 1.4 million metric tonnes.
He explained that farmers currently produced only about 34 per cent of the national demand, forcing the country to import large quantities of tomatoes.
According to him, traditional farming practices still dominate tomato production in Ghana, resulting in low yields of between 7.5 and 10 metric tonnes per hectare.
He added that other challenges facing the sector included poor quality produce, high incidence of pests and diseases, and limited profitability.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Audrey Dekalu