A major boost for Ghana’s agribusiness sector is underway as GB Foods Africa has secured 6,000 acres of land in the Afram Plains for large-scale tomato cultivation, marking one of the most ambitious private-sector agricultural investments in recent years.
The announcement was made during a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Trade in Accra on Monday, February 16, 2026, between the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Angel Lossada Torres-Quevedo, and senior executives of the company.
Chief Executive Officer of GB Foods Africa, Vicenç Bosch, disclosed that the 6,000-acre acquisition is more than three times the size of the company’s existing tomato farm in Nigeria, currently one of the largest in the region.
The company has been piloting tomato farming and processing in Ghana over the past two years, with harvesting expected in the coming weeks. According to Mr. Bosch, initial results are encouraging.
While tomato yields in parts of Central Africa average between five and ten tonnes per acre—compared to about 180 tonnes in China and 140 tonnes in Spain—GB Foods has improved yields to between 60 and 70 tonnes per acre in Nigeria.
In Ghana, the first-year pilot recorded 20 tonnes per acre, with projections to double to 40 tonnes per acre in the second year.
Mr Bosch emphasised that the investment is aimed at building local production capacity rather than relying on imports.
“For us, this is about developing the industry where we operate. It is not about importing; it is about building local capacity,” he stated.
However, he acknowledged the competitive pressure from low-cost tomato imports and called for supportive policy measures, including quota systems similar to those implemented in Senegal and Nigeria, to allow local production to scale sustainably over a five-to-seven-year period.
Responding, Madam Ofosu-Adjare welcomed the 6,000-acre initiative, describing it as consistent with the government’s broader industrialisation and food security agenda under President John Dramani Mahama.
She stressed that strengthening domestic raw material production is essential for economic resilience.
“If you have the industry here but your raw material is somewhere you do not control, when there is a problem there, you suffer. We are committed to ensuring that raw materials are produced in Ghana so that food security can be assured,” she said.
The Spanish Ambassador described GB Foods Africa as a reliable agribusiness partner with a track record of generating socio-economic benefits in host communities, noting that the project signals deepening Ghana–Spain cooperation in agriculture.
The 6,000-acre Afram Plains project is expected to position Ghana as a stronger player in tomato production and processing, reduce import dependence, create jobs and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
