The Fruits and Vegetables Producers Association of Ghana (FVPAG) has urged government to invest in building the production capacity of tomato farmers in Ghana and in developing better varieties of tomatoes to increase the quantity and quality of tomatoes produced in Ghana, in an attempt to reduce tomato importation.

Despite expanding domestic production from 318,000 tons in 2009 to 420,000 tons in 2019, domestic production of tomato has not kept up with the increasing demand of tomato, thus traders turn to neighbouring markets, especially Burkina Faso, to supplement the supply of tomato in periods of deficit. According to the FVPAG, building the production capacity of tomato farmers will end the unfortunate phenomena of Ghana’s overdependence on tomatoes imported from Burkina Faso.

According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) estimates in 2017, Ghana imported some 75,000 tons of tomatoes to meet domestic demand. It had also emerged that Ghana was losing approximately $99.5 million to Burkina Faso through the importation of fresh tomatoes annually.

MoFA estimates tomato yield potential in Ghana at 20 tons per hectare given improved seed use, adoption of good agricultural practices, and reliable rainfall – about two and-a-half times the current average yield of 7.5 tons under irrigated and rainfed systems combined. Tomato yields in Burkina Faso are significantly higher at about 10 tons per hectare. If Ghanaian farmers achieved these yields, they would add 100,000 tons to annual output, the quantity of tomato estimated as now being imported.

Speaking on the possible shortage of tomatoes on the market and a subsequent increase in prices as a result of the ongoing strike action by the Tomato Traders and Transporters Association over attacks by robbers, the Public Relations Officer of the Fruits and Vegetables Producers Association of Ghana, Frank De-Veer said its high time Ghana reduces its dependence on tomatoes from Burkina Faso by building production capacity of farmers and using science to develop better varieties of the commodity.

“I’m saying that the farmers must have the capacity. Any farmer who is a tomato farmer, in the dry season that we have now must have water. Without water, you cannot do anything in the dry season. The tomatoes from Burkina Faso are coming from the use of irrigation. And that is it, we have to use irrigation to grow our tomatoes.

“Also let’s use hybrids, let’s put money in and then let’s guarantee the market for the farmer because the incentives are not there for a lot of farmers when it comes to some of these crops. From Burkina, what we know is that the state helps them a lot; they put in a lot. Here, the state is doing its bit, but it could be more.”
Frank De-Veer, PRO of FVPAG

Mr. De-Veer also added that Ghana will be able to reduce imports by about 50 percent in a year if the right steps are taken.

“Immediately, you cannot unless you have the capacity. But, I’m telling you if we put our act together, within a year we should be able to bring down drastically, maybe 50% to 90% of the importation from Burkina. But, we must have a can-do attitude.”
Frank De-Veer, PRO of FVPAG