Ashanti region: Dr. Young Jin Kim, the Director of KOPIA Ghana, along with the Administrator and Farm Manager from KOPIA Ghana, have visited greenhouse tomato trial sites in the Ashanti Region. The visit is part of the ongoing efforts to monitor and evaluate a project funded by the government of Korea through KOPIA Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project is assessing climate-smart greenhouse trials for new tomato lines developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) in collaboration with WorldVeg. Led by Dr. Michael Kwabena Osei, the Principal Research Scientist and Vegetable Breeder at CSIR-CRI, the team visited facilities at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), CSIR-CRI-Kwadaso, and the Akumadan Irrigation Site. The evaluation includes both inbreds and open-pollinated lines/genotypes of tomatoes.
Tomatoes hold significant importance in Ghana as a staple vegetable with strong year-round demand. However, traditional open-field production methods face challenges such as low yields, poor fruit quality, high pest and disease pressure, and low profitability for farmers. Greenhouse technology offers an alternative by providing higher yields, better-quality fruit, and protection from climate-related challenges. Despite its potential, the adoption of this technology in Ghana is limited due to a lack of knowledge, skills, and access to affordable varieties.
To address these issues, the KOPIA-funded project aims to enhance sustainable and climate-resilient tomato production in Ghana. This involves evaluating high-performing, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient tomato genotypes for greenhouse production. Furthermore, it includes on-farm demonstrations of improved varieties and greenhouse technologies, as well as building the capacities of smallholder farmers in greenhouse production and marketing.
Currently, seven tomato lines are being evaluated across six locations nationwide, including Akumadan in the Ashanti Region, Dormaa East and UENR Campus in the Bono Region, Sogakope SHS Campus in the Volta Region, Kwadaso, CSIR-CRI in the Ashanti Region, KNUST, Agri-Impact in the Ashanti Region, and KOPIA Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.
Dr. Osei noted that most greenhouse tomatoes currently grown are expensive hybrids. He emphasized that successful development of CSIR-CRI lines would provide a cheaper, locally available alternative for farmers interested in greenhouse cultivation. The technology is deemed critical for year-round production and boosting farmer incomes while building resilience to climate change.
Dr. Kim expressed satisfaction with the results from the greenhouses visited, highlighting the promising performance of early results. He urged the project team to continue assessing the economic and environmental impacts of these sustainable production practices as the trials progress.