NORTHERN STAR TOMATO FACTOR OUT OF OPERATION (D/G, Saturday, August 29, 2009. BACK PAGE)

THE Northern Star Tomato Factory (formerly Pwallugu Tomato Factory) in the Upper East Region is currently not functioning.
With about one month to the beginning of the major tomato planting season, farmers in the region have expressed fears that the current state of the factory would affect the purchase of their produce during the harvest season.
There was bumper tomato harvest last year in the region but tomato farmers lost heavily because the factory was not in operation, leading to a glut and consequently low prices.
The tomato farmers have, therefore, appealed to the government to urgently provide funds to put the government-owned factory on the right footing to purchase their produce at the end of the season.
The farmers made the appeal at a meeting organised by the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, following a disclosure by the Farm Operations Manager of the Northern Star Tomato Factory, Mr Kwabena Darkwa, that the government had not yet released funds for the factory’s operations this year. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, attended the meeting.
Mr Darkwa said following the difficulties encountered last season, the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, paid a working visit to the factory and was briefed about the challenges, plans and prospects. The Minister of Food and Agriculture, also visited the factory.
Mr Woyongo described as unacceptable the situation where large tonnes of tomatoes were made to rot on the farms last season due to the lack of funds, adding that such situations must not occur again.
He said Trusty Foods, which went to the aid of the farmers by buying their produce, had indicated its willingness to purchase the produce this year based on agreed terms.
The Regional Minister said he was liaising with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to ensure that funds were made available to the factory to enable it to meet its operational costs for this season.
Mr Woyongo reiterated the government’s commitment to the development of agriculture, hence the drawing up of a comprehensive plan to turn the vast lands in the three northern regions into profitable ventures through programmes such as the Youth in Agriculture Programme.
Under the programme, he said the government would support people interested in farming to cultivate large tracts of land in the three regions into rice farms.
In addition, he said, the Nasia Rice Mills would be rehabilitated to support the rice industry.
He mentioned other measures such as the provision of a 50 per cent subsidy on fertilisers, the importation of combined harvesters and the construction of access roads to farms to open up the farming areas to ease the evacuation of food crops.
Mr Woyongo, however, advised against the smuggling of fertilisers across the borders, since such practices undermined the interest of farmers in the country.
He encouraged district assemblies in the region to acquire land banks to enable private businessmen and investors to invest in job creation ventures.
A spokesperson for the farmers, Mr Donald Samani, said with less than a month to the beginning of the major sowing season, it was the expectation of farmers that the factory managers would have come up with a comprehensive plan based on consultation with farmers on the exact amount the factory would pay for a crate of tomato.
The acting Regional Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Salifu A. Z. Ziblim, said the meeting was to prepare the minds of all stakeholders in the tomato business on steps to take to prevent last year’s situation from occurring again.