CSIR-CRI needs adequate funding for Ghana to meet 1.2 billion tons of domestic tomato demand

Published Sep 20, 2024

Tridge summary

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) is seeking additional funding to meet Nigeria's domestic demand for fresh tomatoes, as the country currently only produces 30% of its own demand. The institute's Senior Research Scientist, Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, highlighted the health risks associated with the consumption of tin tomatoes, which are commonly used due to their high starch content and the low production of fresh tomatoes. The CSIR-CRI has developed new tomato varieties, CRI Kwabena-Kwabena and Kopia Tomato, which are drought-tolerant, resistant, early-maturing, and have high yields. These new varieties are being introduced as part of the Technology for African Agriculture Transfer (TAAT 2) project, funded by the African Development Bank and the World Vegetable Center, to boost Nigeria's tomato production.

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Original content

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) says the Institute needs more funding to research extensively for the nation to meet her 1.2 billion ton of domestic demand for fresh tomatoes. According to Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Horticulture Division (tomato breeder) of the CSIR-CRI, currently the country could produce only 30 per cent of fresh tomatoes for the domestic market. That, he added, had contributed to the importation, and widespread consumption of tin tomatoes, which had high starch content, and called on the public to reduce the intake of the tin tomatoes. Dr Osei said the high consumption of tin tomatoes had serious health implications and was a key contributory factor to the rise in non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, noting, that with enough funding, the Institute would be able to do more research and introduce new varieties of tomato seedlings. He was speaking in an ...

Source: Modernghana