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Pwalugu Tomato Factory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pwalugu Tomato Factory, also known as the Northern Star Tomato Company, is a Ghanaian tomato processing plant located in Pwalugu in the Upper East Region.[1] The factory produces puree and paste.[2]

History

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The factory was established by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president.[3] Construction was completed in 1961, along with several other factories built around the same time to further the Nkrumah government's policy of import substitution.[4] However, the factory did not begin operating until 1973.[4]

After an extended closure, it recommenced operations in 2006 as Northern Star Tomato Company.[5][6] At that time, it did not operate at full capacity.[7]

In 2009, the Ministry of Trade and Industry provided funding to pay staff salaries and purchase tomatoes from farmers.[7]

As of 2011, the factory had the capacity to handle 500 tonnes of raw tomatoes per day.[8] It underwent its most recent corporate reorganisation in 2014.[4]

The factory was featured in the 2019 Deutsche Welle documentary Tomatoes and Greed: The Exodus of Ghana's Farmers.[9] It has been reported that the factory had collapsed owing to the deprivation of the requisite tomato supply to let it work at the least level.[10][11][12][13][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pwalugu Tomato Factory faces closure". MyJoyOnline.com. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Pwalugu tomato factory will be revamped - Upper East Regional Minister-designate". www.ghanaweb.com. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  3. ^ Tetteh, Ransford (9 February 2011). "Save Northern Star Tomato Factory". Daily Graphic. p. 7.
  4. ^ a b c Frimpong Boamah, Emmanuel; Sumberg, James (December 2019). "The long overhang of bad decisions in agro-industrial development: Sugar and tomato paste in Ghana". Food Policy. 89: 101786. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.101786.
  5. ^ Kwarteng, E. Kojo; Glover, Benjamin (1 June 2006). "Boost for Northern Star Tomato Company". Daily Graphic. p. 34.
  6. ^ Awo, Martha A. (2012). Marketing and Market Queens: A Study of Tomato Farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana. LIT Verlag. p. 120. ISBN 978-3-643-90234-4.
  7. ^ a b ABK (14 December 2015). "What led to the closure of Pwalugu Tomato Factory ?". News Ghana. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  8. ^ Ofosu, Eric Antwi (16 December 2011). Sustainable Irrigation Development in the White Volta Sub-Basin. CRC Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-415-62103-8.
  9. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Tomatoes and greed – the exodus of Ghana's farmers | DW Documentary. YouTube.
  10. ^ Awal, Mohammed (22 September 2021). "Inadequate tomato supply killed Pwalugu Tomato Factory". The Business & Financial Times. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  11. ^ Pwalugu Tomato Factory now a 'ghost house' - The Pulse on JoyNews (16-10-18), retrieved 29 December 2021
  12. ^ ABK. "What led to the closure of Pwalugu Tomato Factory ? | News Ghana". newsghana.com.gh/. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Pwalugu: Tomato factory will be operational next year - BRC". A1 Radio Bolgatanga. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Minister seeks support to revamp Pwalugu Tomato factory". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2021.