The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), in collaboration with FarmMate Limited, has signed a major Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement aimed at achieving national self-sufficiency in tomato production and boosting vegetable development across Ghana.

The agreement is designed to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes while expanding local production and processing capacity. Under the arrangement, government will provide policy direction, coordination, and an enabling environment, while FarmMate will handle implementation, large-scale production, and value chain development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister for Food and Agriculture described the initiative as a practical and scalable response to long-standing challenges in the tomato sector, including seasonal shortages, price fluctuations, and post-harvest losses.

The project will be implemented nationwide, covering up to 40,000 acres and targeting an annual production of 400,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes. It will also include processing facilities with the capacity to process 20 tonnes per hour, producing an estimated 200,000 tonnes of tomato puree annually.

In addition, the project will establish packhouses, pre-processing centres, and logistics hubs in key agricultural zones, bringing total projected output to about 600,000 tonnes per year across the value chain.

Beyond production targets, the partnership is expected to generate significant socio-economic benefits, including support for tens of thousands of farmers and the creation of more than 300,000 jobs across the agricultural sector.

It will also prioritise youth training and apprenticeship programmes, while guaranteeing a ready market for farmers to ensure stable incomes and encourage increased production.

Officials say the PPP highlights the potential of public-private collaboration in transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector and strengthening long-term food security.