Bolgatanga, Aug 18, GNA - Mr Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, has reiterated the need for key stakeholders in the tomato trade to engage with researchers to come out with varieties of tomato seed to suite the climatic conditions of the north so that it could be cultivated all year round.

He said the Northern Star Tomato Company (NSTC), if put to full capacity, can process all the tomatoes produced in the region and from Burkina Faso.

Mr Woyongo said this in Bolgatanga when he opened a workshop on Joint Tomato Venture between Ghana and Burkina Faso as part of a process being undertaken by the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC) and their Burkina Faso counterpart, ORCARDE.

It is promote tomato trade between the two countries by eliminating the unnecessary rivalries, tensions and unhealthy competitions that characterize the tomato trade.

He said the tomato factory was prepared to enter into any bilateral agreement with Burkina Faso for the continuous supply of raw materials which is tomatoes, for its operations.

Other areas that could be exploited, the Minister said, were shea nut and cotton processing.

Mr Ibrahim Akalbila, coordinator of GTLC, said about 91.8 per cent of all tomato growers did it for commercial purposes and it had been identified to be the only crop that farmers could rely on to make good income.

He said it was being hampered by many problems including, lack of suitable seed for both rainy and dry season cultivation, diseases and poor market.

He said research done in 2009 showed that about 30 per cent of respondents did not have access to agricultural extension services and of the 43 per cent that had advice from agricultural officers, only 15.3 per cent experienced improved yields.