The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has launched a registration exercise for farmers in the constituency to benefit from support for dry-season cultivation of tomatoes and pepper.
The initiative forms part of the MP’s Grassroots Integrated Agriculture Support Programme (GIASP), aimed at creating jobs, improving livelihoods and increasing food production in the constituency.
Under the programme, farmers are expected to receive support including fertiliser, seedlings, tractor services and irrigation assistance. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) and the Department of Food and Agriculture.
Mr. Adongo says he has already secured about 2,000 bags of MPK fertiliser for the programme and has provided four tractors to assist farmers with land preparation.
He said he has also committed GH¢50,000 towards the dredging of canals serving farming communities from the Vea irrigation system, while pumping machines will be provided to farmers using small dams and other water sources that have been dredged under his initiative.
Speaking to the media during an interaction with farmers in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Mr. Adongo said the intervention is intended to create alternative employment opportunities for young people while reducing the dependence of Ghanaian tomato traders on Burkina Faso.
“We have to find different pathways to create employment. And one of them is dry-season agriculture, where we are known for cultivating tomatoes and pepper,” he said.
He explained that the support package would cover land preparation, irrigation, fertiliser and seedlings, with technical guidance from ICOUR and agricultural officers.
Mr. Adongo said the registration exercise would help determine the number of farmers and acreage available for cultivation, after which a production calendar would be developed to guide the distribution of inputs and other support.
“By the time the registration is done, we’ll have a fair idea of the acreage that we are going to farm, and we’ll have an idea of the level of support that we are going to provide,” he said.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of challenges faced by Ghanaian tomato traders who travel to Burkina Faso for supplies. In February 2024, three Ghanaian tomato traders died in a road accident at Mogtinga in Burkina Faso, while eight others sustained injuries. In February 2026, seven Ghanaian tomato traders were reportedly killed by suspected JNIM Islamist militants in the northern Burkinabè town of Titao.
The situation, coupled with restrictions on the movement of fresh tomatoes by Burkina Faso, has heightened calls for increased domestic production. Mr. Adongo believes expanding dry-season tomato and pepper production in Bolgatanga Central could help reduce the risks associated with cross-border tomato trading while improving food security and incomes.
“Over the years, I have been supporting the farmers in the Vea Canal enclave. But often the support has been in the form of helping to dredge the waterways,” he explained.
He said the Vea irrigation infrastructure has not undergone significant renovation since its construction decades ago, leaving farmers dependent on periodic interventions to maintain the canals.
The Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, Roland Atanga Ayoo, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to engage unemployed young people in agriculture. Mr. Ayoo said the initiative could benefit farmers in communities including Vea, Zaare, Yorogo, Yikene and Sumbrungu, etc while helping to reduce the migration of young people to southern Ghana in search of employment.
He acknowledged challenges with the condition of some irrigation canals but said the MP was prepared to support efforts to open them up to facilitate the flow of water to farms.
The Managing Director of ICOUR, Dr. Dominic Anarigide, said ICOUR would support the programme with seeds and water, while the MP would assist with land preparation, fertiliser and the rehabilitation of canals.
“The help of the MP will ensure that a lot more people are getting involved in farming and it will increase our land under cultivation,” Dr. Anarigide said.
According to him, the intervention would not only increase agricultural production but also create direct and indirect employment for farmers and other workers who provide services on farms. He said increased production of tomatoes and other vegetables would contribute to food security and improve the incomes of farming households.
Mr. Adongo said the dry-season farming initiative is one of several components of his broader GIASP programme. Other components include the establishment of 20 craft centres for women and a skills-training programme for young people in areas such as hairdressing and sewing. He said the overall objective is to create sustainable economic opportunities for households across Bolgatanga Central and strengthen the constituency’s contribution to food security.
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