Farmers in Tuobodom, a well-known town noted for the production of high-quality tomatoes and other vegetables, are urging the government to complete the abandoned tomato factory at Techiman in the Bono East Region.
According to Wofa Seth Agyei, 2009 National Best Tomato Farmer and 2019 National Best Tree Crop Farmer, the government should put measures in place to buy and store their yields as they are tired of annual harvest losses.
Wofa Seth revealed that erstwhile President J. A. Kufuor’s administration started a Tomato Processing Factory at Techiman but due to a few technical reasons successive Governments have abandoned the project leaving machines procured for that purpose to rust while Tomato Farmers are suffering in vain.
He appealed to President Akufo-Addo and Trade Minister, Hon Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng to complete the factory.
Meanwhile, in the Ashanti Region, tons of fresh tomatoes are decaying on farms and market centres due to poor demand and a lack of storage facilities.
Sources revealed that hundreds of farmers and traders are watching helplessly as their tomatoes go waste.
A visit to some market centres including Kumasi racecourse, Bantama, and Tafo markets saw an abundance of the commodity due to the bumper harvest.
The situation has led to a dip in the price of the commodity as a box of tomatoes that was previously sold at GH¢ 2,000 is now being sold at GH¢100.
The regional Tomato Sellers Queen-Mother, Nana Abena Serwaa said, “Many farmers have incurred huge losses because their tomatoes are rotting due to lack of buyers as well as nowhere to store the commodity”.
Nana Serwaa who doubles as a tomato farmer said the situation is affecting them negatively since they depend on it to pay their children’s school fees as well as other expenses.
