The farmers said the losses had raised serious concerns about the prospects of the 2026 farming season, with significant investments in seeds, farm inputs and labour already affected.

They called on the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, to constitute a technical team comprising crop scientists, certified seed inspectors and plant pathologists to assess the affected farms and establish the cause of the premature death of the seedlings.

The farmers further urged the Ministry to investigate the source and quality of the affected seed batches and recommend appropriate measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Mr Bernard Mawutor Ametepe, a local geographer who spoke on behalf of some affected farming communities, said the premature death of transplanted seedlings had created considerable uncertainty among farmers about the prospects of the 2026 farming season.

He said the affected farmers had followed recommended agronomic practices in preparing their farms and transplanting the seedlings, raising concerns about the viability or quality of the seeds used.

According to him, the reported damage had affected both smallholder and commercial farmers in communities including Kasseh, Koluedor, Tehey, Luhour and Dorgobom.

Mr Ametepe said the losses could have serious financial consequences for farmers, particularly those who had borrowed money to finance their farming operations.

“To finance the 2026 planting season, many farmers secured loans through local rural banks and microfinance institutions. With seed, input and labour investments rendered unrecoverable, farmers face imminent distress and long-term indebtedness,” he said.

He said continued crop failures could negatively affect household incomes, food security and the domestic tomato supply chain, particularly if farmers were unable to recover their investments or produce sufficient quantities for the market.

Mr Ametepe also warned that repeated crop failures could discourage young people from taking up farming and agribusiness, potentially affecting the future of agricultural production in the area.

He noted that concerns over the quality of tomato seed stock had reportedly persisted in parts of the two districts for about 15 years, making a comprehensive investigation into the issue necessary.

According to him, the investigation should determine whether there were weaknesses in the seed supply chain, including issues relating to seed sourcing, certification, storage, distribution and quality control.

He therefore urged MoFA to collaborate with accredited seed suppliers, agro-dealers, the Ada Tomato Farmers Association and other relevant stakeholders to trace the source of the affected seeds and determine whether any quality-control breaches occurred.

Mr Ametepe said the affected communities were ready to cooperate fully with any investigation by providing authorities with access to farms, seed samples and other relevant information that could assist in determining the cause of the seedling deaths.

He appealed to the Ministry to treat the matter as urgent and intervene quickly to prevent further losses and protect the livelihoods of tomato farmers in the Ada East and Ada West districts.