How to Start A Tomato Farming Business in Ghana
Tomato is one of the important components of every Ghanaian meal and so many people have come to embrace it. So many young Ghanaian have gone into the tomato farming business due to its lucrative nature.
The demand for tomato in Ghana far outstrips supply and therefore local production is augmented by imports from neighbouring countries. Due to this huge deficit, tomato farming has become one of the most lucrative agribusinesses in Ghana.
In Ghana, tomato farming is predominant in ten out of the 16 regions in Ghana. These regions include Oti region, Volta region, Ashanti region, Upper East region, Greater Accra region, Bono East region, Ahafo region, North East region Savannah region and Eastern region.
Although tomato production in Ghana is seasonal, it has an all year round demand for tomato and tomato products. There is an abundant supply in the Ghanaian market during the rainy season. This usually results in low price and return on investment.
Having said that, in this guide, you’ll learn how to start a profitable tomato farming business in Ghana.
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How to Start A Tomato Farming Business in Ghana
Tomato farming is very a lucrative business, however, it’s recommended you do proper research before getting started. Some of the things to know include the type of seed, tomato nursery, market demand, climatic conditions etc. With this knowledge, you can get started with tomato farming in Ghana.
Step 1 – Get a Farmland
To get started with your tomato farm, you need farmland where you will plant your tomato seedlings. For commercial tomato farming, you can get large farmland for your nursery and planting.
Although tomato can grow in any type of soil except clay soil. The best type of soil for tomato planting is loamy and sandy soils. If your soil has lots of clay, you can improve the texture by tilling the soil and incorporating sand, sawdust, peat moss or other amendments before planting.
For commercial tomato farming, you also need make provisions for proper irrigation, especially for the dry seasons. This will help in all-year-round harvest.
Step 2 – Choose Suitable Tomato Specie
Your choice of tomato species goes a long way in determining the success of your business. Go for the fast-growing and disease-resistance species of tomato. There are so many species of tomato out there but not all of them are suitable for the Ghanaian climate.
The best species of tomatoes in Ghana are Grape tomato, Red Beefsteak tomato, Cherry tomato, Cocktail tomato, Roma tomato, Sauce tomato. If you have difficulties making a choice see your trusted and certified seed dealer.
Step 3 – Tomato Planting
Tomato seeds are first planted in a nursery to provide adequate controlled conditions for the seeds to germinate. You should treat your seeds first before planting.
For this, treat the seeds with the fungicide Thiram or Captan, 2.5 gm/kg of seeds. In the nursery, plants should be prepared on raised beds. Treating seeds increases the quality of the crop and also increases the yield.
After sowing, the seeds should be covered with a mixture of cow dung manure and soil and give light irrigation to it. If possible, the beds should be covered with straw or hay till the deposition of the seed occurs, so that the beds retain proper moisture.
After 35 to 40 days, you can now transplant your seedlings. When planting your tomato, be mindful of the distance. Row to row distance should be kept between 45-60 cm and plant to plant distance should be 30-45 cm. Transplanting should be done in the evening.
Step 4 –Â Irrigation
Water supply is very important, especially in the dry season. The most critical time for ample soil moisture is during bloom and early fruiting stages. In Ghana, two main categories of irrigation are use: flood/surface irrigation and sprinkler irrigation.
Step 5 – Weed Control
Few months after transplanting, weeding should be done. This is necessary for healthy crop growth. You can achieve this by frequent shallow hoeing. Also, the application of pre-emergence weedicides 3-4 days before transplanting will enhance weed control.
Step 6 – Harvesting
Tomato is a fast-growing crop. In general, most tomato varieties come to full maturity after 100 days and are ready for harvest. However, there are some good tomato varieties that only need 50 – 60 days to mature. If you are planting tomato plants late in the season, look for tomato varieties with shorter days to maturity.
Normally, tomato is usually harvested in batches, once you harvest the first batch you would continue to harvest tomato from your farm till the plants die off (usually in dry season).
Step 7 – Marketing
One major challenge that most tomato farmers do have in Ghana is that tomatoes have a short shelf life. If you don’t sell it off immediately after harvest, you will run at a loss. This is why you need to pay attention to the marketing aspect of this business.
One way to circumvent this challenge is by finding prospective buyes even before harvest. You can spread the word about your tomato farm right from the time you start planting. Meet major dealers in the market and let them know you have a farm.
You can also supply your tomatoes to major markest across Ghana. With this getting buyers for your farm produce wouldn’t be much of a challenge.
Additionally, you can also meet tomato processing companies if you don’t intend to start a tomato processing plant yourself. The market for processed tomato is equally large – beyond just Ghana.
