Trade data from the Ghana Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association (Ghana Vegetables) indicate that annual tomato import from neighbouring Burkina Faso has hit a staggering US$400million from an estimated US$99.5million in 2018.
Whereas the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) has confirmed that the country currently imports 90 percent of its fresh tomato from Burkina Faso, it also added that the current national consumption demand of tomatoes is in excess of 800,000 metric tonnes per annum.
The president of Ghana Vegetables, Dr. Felix Kamassah, however, attributed the rising imports and slump in local production to cost of fertilizer and quality seeds, and the lack of mechanization and machinery.
“Our farmers grow the Burkina variety in Ghana, but the difference is sustainability and irrigation by mechanisation which is lacking here,” Dr. Kamassah said.
Ghana Vegetables, he indicated, is focusing on saving at least half of the amount internally by boosting production and increasing supply up to, at least, 40 percent.
More than 70 percent of tomato supply in major supermarkets and malls in Ghana are sourced from the Netherlands, Burkina Faso and other countries, data from Ghana Vegetables have shown.
Request to gov’t
The Association wants government to support research institutions in seed development to grow seedlings in a greenhouse environment to enable year-round nursery.
It requested that mechanised irrigation, inputs and access to capital be prioritised in fruit and vegetable cultivation to combat changing trends in the current erratic climate occurrences, as well as governmental support and policies to lure the youth into vegetable farming.
“The PFJ policy must devote a chunk of resources to vegetable cultivation. That is the only way to increase support for farmers in the sector and whip up interest. We want the Food and Agriculture Minister to engage the horticulture industry on the way forward,” he said.
Recent climatic conditions in Europe have been increasing demand of tomatoes, as lack of sunshine, and heavy rains in some parts of that continent are creating unfavourable conditions for the fruit’s cultivation.
But Dr. Kamassah indicated this is the time for government to support local producers to meet rising demands in the European market.
Setbacks in tomato production
GIRSAL has identified that the slump in local tomato production is attributed to most farmers cultivating less than 10 metric tonnes per hectare against the potential of 20 metric tonnes per hectare.
Besides, poor agronomic practices, lack of varieties for commercial agro-processing, as well as farmers still planting local varieties – typically with high water content, many seeds, poor colour, and low brix level – have all been identified as key production setbacks.
Source: B&FT
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Thank you very much Dr AKOTO for such a great news . In fact you are working very hard for the betterment of the country. You are the best agriculture minister.
Thank you to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto. This is a great news for the country and all farmers across the country. Due to his efforts as a minister under this government, Ghanaian Farmers have been given the support which has led the improvement of farm produce in the country. His sector has performed extraordinary as compared to other sectors. We say thank you for his positive contributions. #TheLegend
Ghana will bounds back very soon in cocoa high production n marketing soon, by the competent agric minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto
Two quick questions. 1, Tomatoes cannot grow in Ghana? 2, Is Ghana only good for galamsey and Sakawa?
You people should read and research even the worlds highest import isn’t higher than 300 million how much more ghana that tomatoes rot at Akomadan Lies lies
Sea AFRIYIE AKOTO is working very hard fro the betterment of the country. In fact he is the best Agriculture minster ever ..
Burkina can not be Exporting 400 million dollars of Tomatoes to GHANA, it is a Lie! More over according to Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the fifth largest exporter of tomatoes in the world is Canada which exports 448million dollars so how is it possible for Burkina Faso, a country that Ghana produces more tomatoes than and also not even part of the world’s top 20 exporters of tomatoes in the world would be able to export 400 million dollars worth of tomatoes only to Ghana. In fact, the entire earnings of Burkina Faso from tomatoes is not even up to 400m dollars let alone Ghana alone giving them 400m dollars. It is therefore indeed shocking how people just conjure figures from the air and put it out in the public space just for purposes of deception.
GHANA AGRIC MINISTER OIS SUCH ***barred word*** ***barred word*** ***barred word*** TJHAT IS WHY CANNOT BE A LEADER ANYWHERE YOU PLACE SUCH FOOOOOOL. STOP THESE NONSEN SE OF USING TAXPAYERS' MONEY GIVEN TO YOU BY FINANCE MINISTRY CHASING ON PEASANT FARMERS ***barred word***. THAT EVEN IN DEVELOPED WORLD LIKE CHINA DO NOT OPERATE PEASANT FARMING TO FEED 1.4 BILLION POPULATION AS CHINA BEEN DOING AND HAVE FOOD SECURITY WHILE GHANA HAVE FOOD INFLATION OF 30% AND CANNOT FEED 30MILLION POPULATION THAT IS MAKE SENSE ONLY YOU ISSUING IMPORT LICENSE TO IMPORTER TO IMPORT RICE, WHEAT, CORN, CHICKEN WHICH CAN BE GROWN HERE IN GHANA AS KENYA IS BEEN DOING IT INCLUDING NORTH AFRICA COUNTRIES. GHANA DOESN;T NEED USE LESS AGRIC MINISTER SUCH AS THIS. THIS HAVE EASY SOLUTION SO LONG AS WE KEEP IMPORTING ***barred word*** INTO GHANA THE CEDI WILL CONTINUE TO DEPRECIATE. WHY ARE WE IMPORTING RICE INTO GHANA THAT GHANA HAVE FERTILE LAND TO PRODUCE RICE DOES IT MAKE SENSE. WHY WE IMPORT FLOUR WHILES BRASIL, EQYPT GROW WHEAT WHICH GHANA CAN DO SAME ARE WE SERIOUS AS A NATION WHO IS THIS AGRIC MINISTER IS HE SRIOUS AS A LEADER, STOP PEASANT FARMING AND DO COMMERCIAL FARMING ZIMBABWEA USE TO DO COMMERCIAL FARMING AND THEY WERE BREAD BASKET OF SOUTHERN AFRICA UNTI THEIR ***barred word*** LEADER MUGABE STARTED TAKING THE LAND FROM WHITE FARMERS TO THE BLACKS WHO COULDN'T FARM ANYWAY MEANWHILE THESE BLACKS WERE WORKING FOR THESE WHITE FARMERS AT THAT TIME. GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUT HEAVY TARRIFS ON PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE GROWN OR PRODUCE IN GHANA TO STOP THIS ***barred word*** ELSE WE ARE DOOM AS A NATION AND OUR CEDI STRENTH. AGAIN FOREIGNERS WHO DOMINATES OUR MARKETS CANNOT IMPORTS THINGS THAT CAN BE PRODUCE IN GHANA ONLY LAZY PEOPLE OR NATION DOES THAT.