Kumasi: Dr Young Jin Kim, the new Country Director for the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA), has visited the tomato project sites of the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI). The visit aimed to familiarize himself with KOPIA's activities and monitor the progress of seed production for the CRI-Kwabena Kwabena and KOPIA tomato varieties.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Kim met with the CSIR-CRI Tomato Breeding team, headed by Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, a Principal Research Scientist, to receive updates on KOPIA Tomato activities in Ghana. Following the briefing, Dr Kim proceeded to inspect the tomato project at CSIR-CRI in Fumesua and the breeder seed production at the Kwadaso Station. He also visited the foundation seed production fields in Berekum, located in the Bono Region.
Dr. Osei explained the significant features of the new tomato varieties, which include early maturity, high yields, high brix, and tolerance to late early blight diseases. These varieties have been developed to tackle challenges posed by climate change and are suitable for both the fresh market and processing industry. During his tour, Dr Kim engaged with farmers to understand their experiences and challenges with the new varieties. The farmers expressed enthusiasm for the CRI-Kwabena Kwabena and KOPIA tomato varieties, emphasizing the necessity for timely seed availability to encourage widespread cultivation.
Dr Kim stated that feedback and suggestions from farmers would guide future research and development efforts. He highlighted that ensuring seed availability is vital for promoting the adoption of these new varieties. Dr Kim reiterated KOPIA's commitment to supporting Ghana's agricultural sector through innovative research, capacity building, and technology transfer.
