Tomato farmers worried over glut, diseases…as peak season approaches

TOMATO FARMERS in the region are entertaining fears of the likely repetition of a glut, diseases and poor marketing of their products.

They are severely complaining about problems relating to pricing, productivity and marketing, which they say if nothing is done about to bring changes, would endanger this year's activities, as has always happened in previous years.

These were brought to light at a meeting organised by the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and attended by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, and a representative of the Northern Star Tomato Company in Bolgatanga.

Addressing the tomato farmers, the Acting Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Salifu Abdul Razak Ziblim, emphasised the need for proactive Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) which would build up a platform from the community units through to the regional level.

This, he said, would prevent what he called the ad hoc implementation of their ideas.

Mr. Kwabena Darko, Farms Operations Manager of the Northern Star Tomato Company at Pwalugu, divulged that the company had so far not been financed to be able to purchase the produce of the farmers in the region, but was swift to add that the management was still liaising with the MOFA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to source funding for the programme.

Mr. Mark Woyongo reiterated the government's premium on agriculture, and regretted that there were vast lands in the region suitable for farming, yet the people were hungry.

He said the government spends about $500,000,000 in importing rice, and this needed to be stopped, and the money reverted to the improvement of domestic production.

Mr. Woyongo was optimistic that the way forward to move out of poverty, was to encourage and empower the farmer to produce enough for subsistence, and then for commercial purposes.

He made known that the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority had included the construction of access roads to farmlands.

He also disclosed that the Northern Star Tomato Company would be financed to buy all the produce of the farmers.

The Regional Minister added that plans were underway for Trusty Foods Company to also come up north to purchase the farmers' produce, and appealed to them to solidify their existence by forming strong groups so as to firmly fix prices, to avoid always being at the mercies of tomato buyers.