Many farmers in the Bono East Region are increasingly shifting from the cultivation of maize and yam to commercial vegetable production, driven by growing market demand and the rising prices of vegetables.
The trend has seen farmers expand the cultivation of crops such as pepper, tomatoes and garden eggs in commercial quantities to take advantage of the more lucrative vegetable market.
According to Patrick Acheampong, the 2025 Bono East Regional Best Farmer, vegetable farming has become increasingly attractive to farmers across the region due to strong demand and favourable market prices.
Speaking during a visit to his farm at Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality, Acheampong said many farmers were now dedicating large portions of their land to vegetable production because of its profitability.
He explained that demand for vegetables had increased significantly across markets in the region, encouraging farmers who previously focused on maize and yam to diversify into vegetable farming.
“In fact, many farmers who left vegetable production have returned seriously looking for land to engage in the cultivation of vegetables in commercial quantities,” Acheampong said.
Rising vegetable prices attract farmers
Acheampong said the increasing prices of tomatoes and pepper had further strengthened the appeal of vegetable farming.
He noted that a box of tomatoes that previously sold for about GH¢4,000 was now going for approximately GH¢5,000, while the price of a bag of pepper had increased from around GH¢6,000 to GH¢9,000.
The rising prices, he said, had made vegetable production one of the more attractive agricultural activities for farmers in the region.
Concern over maize and yam production
Despite the economic benefits, Acheampong expressed concern that the continued shift towards vegetable farming could affect the production of maize and yam in the Bono East Region if the trend is not properly managed.
He warned that a significant reduction in the cultivation of staple crops could have implications for food availability and security in the region.
Acheampong therefore called on the government to support farmers with farm inputs, improved seedlings and fertilisers to enable them to increase production across both staple and vegetable crops.
He said targeted support could help farmers take advantage of the growing vegetable market while maintaining adequate production of maize and yam to safeguard food security in the region.
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