Bringing a National Icon Back to Life
The Pwalugu Northern Star Tomato Factory is one of northern Ghana's most historic agro-processing facilities. Built in the early 1960s under Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, it was established to process tomatoes into paste and puree for both local consumption and export.
After repeated shutdowns and unsuccessful revival attempts, the factory lies dormant. But its strategic importance to the northern agricultural economy remains undiminished — and the Assembly is now leading a determined effort to bring it back to life.
Investors Come Calling
In a strategic engagement, the DCE hosted a delegation from Nutrifood Ghana Limited — makers of Tasty Tom Tomato Paste and NutriSnax Biscuits — joined by representatives from Feed Ghana and an agricultural engineer and researcher from Nigeria. The team inspected the factory and assessed its viability for rehabilitation and operationalisation.
Preliminary discussions had already been held with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture regarding the factory's future.
A Guaranteed Market for Farmers
- Raw Material Supply: Farmers in Pwalugu and surrounding communities continue to cultivate tomatoes along the White Volta, and can be organised into production groups for a steady supply.
- Improved Seeds: The Assembly is engaging experts from the University of Ghana and a Swiss agricultural specialist for improved, organic high-yield tomato seed varieties.
- Irrigation Support: The delegation visited the Tono Irrigation Scheme to evaluate its capacity to support large-scale tomato production.
- Advocacy: The DCE pledged to work with the Upper East Regional Minister and the Member of Parliament to advocate for the factory's revival.
Why It Matters
Restoring the factory would provide a reliable market for tomato farmers, reduce post-harvest losses and create employment across the Upper East Region. With raw material available from Talensi as well as Bongo District and the Kassena-Nakana Municipality, there is ample supply for industrial processing.
We are inviting investors to revamp the defunct Pwalugu tomato factory because there will be adequate supply of raw materials from the district and others.
The Bigger Picture
Alongside the tomato factory, the DCE champions Planting for Food and Jobs, which makes affordable farm inputs and extension services available to the vast majority of farmers. Modernising agriculture is the surest route to rising incomes — and the tomato factory is the centrepiece.
Way Forward
Nutrifood Ghana will undertake a detailed assessment of the facility — machinery, production capacity, operational efficiency and investment required — before a final decision. Industry observers believe restoring the factory could unlock the economic potential of the Talensi District and the entire north.