No tomato shortage despite Burkina Faso ban - Agric Minister assures public

Eric Opoku, Minister of Food and Agriculture, assured the public on Wednesday in Accra that Ghana will not face a tomato shortage despite an export ban by Burkina Faso. He said the Government was rolling out measures to boost yields, cut post-harvest losses and expand irrigation-backed production to stabilise supply.

Mr. Opoku said the immediate response centred on developing high-yielding seed varieties, scaling up irrigation schemes and linking farmers directly to ready markets to reduce waste. Collaboration with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement would deliver improved tomato seeds capable of raising yields to at least 15 metric tonnes per hectare within months. Government was expanding irrigation under the Vegetable Development Project, including cluster farming in Ahafo and Fanteakwa, drilling 250 boreholes across the northern regions, and securing hundreds of hectares under existing irrigation systems for immediate tomato cultivation. Ghana's annual tomato demand stands at about 805,000 metric tonnes, while current production is estimated at 510,000 metric tonnes, leaving a deficit of nearly 300,000 metric tonnes.

About 30 per cent of local production- approximately 153,000 metric tonnes - was lost post-harvest. 60 hectares each had been developed in Ahafo and Fanteakwa with mechanisation and water supply systems, while additional sites were being prepared for expansion. A rehabilitated irrigation scheme had made 500 hectares available for immediate tomato production after agreements were reached to connect farmers with buyers to guarantee off-take, he added. One hundred hectares had also been secured at Akumadan to further scale up production.