CSIR-CRI to release new drought resistant tomato varieties

Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, a Senior Research Scientist and Head of Horticulture Division at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Crops Research Institute (CRI) of Ghana (CSIR-CRI), says the Institute would soon release new tomato varieties, resistant to drought and of high and quality yields.He explained that the 'new CRI Kwabena-Kwabena and Kopia Tomato varieties were drought tolerant, mature early, late blight, high and quality yields with good fruits'.Dr Osei disclosed this at a field day of the CSIR-CRI and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture organised for tomato farmers at Tuobodom in the Techiman North District of the Bono East Region.He advised the tomato farmers to prepare to cultivate the new varieties explaining that CRI-Kwabena-Kwabena and the Kopia Tomato varieties were good for Forest and Transitional zones in the country.Dr Osei said the release of the new varieties was meant to add value to the food chain and ensure there was large produce of tomato in the country, explaining that South Korea through KOPIA-Ghana was funding the CSIR-CRI for the release of the varieties.Mr Mathew Opoku, the Techiman North District Director of Agriculture called for stronger collaboration between the Directorate and the CSIR-CRI and its partners that would create a sustainable platform.He said more tomato farmers in the Tuobodom enclave were cultivating varieties of the CRI which had quality and high yields. ?Mr Cosmos Yeboah, the Techiman North District Agriculture Research Officer, explained that because of the quality and high yields most of the farmers had switched from the local ones, planting the CRI varieties.Source: Ghana News Agency