Akomadan Tomato Farmers Get A Boost … As Irrigation Dam Nears Completion

Stories from Sebastian R. Freiku

The construction of an irrigation dam at Akomadan in the Offinso North district of the region is about 80 percent complete.

The project is being implemented by the Offinso North District Assembly, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority and its partners, Korea Rural Community Corporation and the Korea Engineering Consultants Corporation from Japan.

The project, which was begun last year, would ensure an increase in tomato production all year round, and enable tomato farmers to cultivate and harvest the crop in large quantities.

Dubbed: “Improving Irrigation for All Year Round Tomato Production under the Akomadan Irrigation Scheme,” it is expected to increase tomato production from 65 percent to over 165 percent this year.

Several acres of land have been cleared in preparation for the cultivation, with irrigation pipes fixed and sprinkling water on the prepared land.

Akomadan is noted for its large scale production and supply of tomatoes to most of the other parts of the country.

Some of the farmers who expressed delight about the potential of the project, however, complained of inadequate supply of fertiliser.

They also complained about the lack of a tomato processing plant at Akomadan to process the high yield, and appealed to the government to establish a tomato processing plant there.

The District Chief Executive for Offinso North, Samuel Appiah Kubi, is happy the irrigation dam is almost complete to boost tomato production in the area.

According to him, tomatoes from Akomadan feed a processing plant at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, but hoped that with an improved irrigation system towards increased tomato yield, the establishment of a tomato processing plant in Akomadan in the near future would be considered by his outfit.

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