The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) says the Institute needs more funding to research extensively for the nation to meet her 1.2 billion ton of domestic demand for fresh tomatoes.
According to Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, Senior Research Scientist and Head of Horticulture Division (tomato breeder) of the CSIR-CRI, currently the country could produce only 30 percent of fresh tomatoes for the domestic market.
That, he added, had contributed to the importation, and widespread consumption of tin tomatoes, which had high starch content, and called on the public to reduce the intake of the tin tomatoes.
Dr Osei said the high consumption of tin tomatoes had serious health implications and a key contributory factor to the rise in non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, noting, with enough funding, the Institute would be able to do more research and introduce the new varieties of tomato seedlings.
He was speaking in an interview with the media on the sidelines of a field day organised by the CSIR-CRI for some tomato farmers at Fetentaa in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region.
The CSIR-CRI used the day to introduce, showcase and encourage the tomato farmers to cultivate the “new CRI Kwabena-Kwabena and Kopia Tomato varieties”, introduced by the Institute.
According to Dr Osei, CRI Kwabena-Kwabena and Kopia Tomato varieties were drought tolerant and resistant, matured early, had late blight and high and quality yields with good fruits.
He explained that introduction of the new tomato varieties was in line with the Technology for African Agriculture Transfer (TAAT 2) project, being implemented by the CSIR-CRI to support farmers to grow and boost the nation’s tomato production sector.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) through the World Vegetable Center (World Veg), an international Non-Governmental Organisation into vegetable research is funding the project, aimed at well positioning the CSIR-CRI to leverage technology for research work.
Dr Osei expressed worry that tomato farmers could not cultivate and produce more in the crop season because of climate change, saying, with the new varieties, farmers could produce 20 tons per hectare.
Comparatively, he said the new varieties could withstand heat and matured within 55 days with high yields and drought resistance, however, advised the farmers to ensure that they picked the seedlings from the CRI.
Alhassan Zaato, Research Associate, World Veg, enumerated several challenges, including lack of infrastructure and unfavourable policies impeding the growth and development of the vegetable sector in the country.
He said the nation’s vegetable sector had huge economic potential and called on the government to invest in the sector by adequately resourcing and releasing more funds to enable the CSIR-CRI to undertake extensive research work and improve vegetable production.
Source: GNA
