Tomato traders and importers in Accra are sounding the alarm over a looming tomato shortage and potential price hikes, urging the government to urgently invest in local irrigation infrastructure. Without such action, they warn, Ghana’s heavy dependence on imports from Burkina Faso, a trade route now fraught with peril, will continue to threaten food security and the livelihoods of thousands.
The warning follows recent terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso that claimed the lives of eight Ghanaians and left others injured, disrupting the critical cross-border tomato supply chain. The incident has heightened fears among traders, many of whom now question the safety of continuing their operations.
Esther Owusu Ansah, a tomato importer with more than three decades of experience, told Citi Business News that traders may soon stop traveling to Burkina Faso if adequate security is not guaranteed. “Our drivers have families, and they cannot risk their lives just to transport tomatoes,” she emphasized, noting that while security escorts are provided up to Paga, the journey beyond remains unpredictable.
“We are even beginning to reconsider importing tomatoes altogether,” she added, expressing a growing sentiment among importers.
Fellow trader Adwoa Pinnaman echoed these concerns, stressing the urgent need for the government to invest in irrigation systems and dams to support local tomato farming. “Many of the tomatoes we get are usually rotten,” she lamented, pointing out that significant sums are spent supporting Burkina Faso’s economy instead of strengthening Ghana’s own agricultural sector.
Otumfuo Charity, Queenmother of the CMB Underbridge branch and an executive member of the Ghana National Tomato Traders Association, raised another issue: the threat of smuggling. She warned that some traders from Togo exploit the current disruption by selling tomatoes meant for Togolese markets directly in Ghana. “We will not accept this, and we will issue a warning against such practices,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, drivers and transporters distributing tomatoes across Ghana say their business has almost ground to a halt. Kwame Siaw, a driver at the CMB Underbridge branch, worried that many may be forced into unsustainable alternative jobs if the shortage persists. Veteran driver Peter Boahen added,
“With fewer tomatoes on the market, prices will become more expensive. Since the main trucks that transport tomatoes from Burkina Faso are no longer coming, we will be left sitting here idle. How then will we take care of our families?”
The traders’ collective message is clear: without prompt investment in local production, Ghana faces continued supply disruptions, rising prices, and growing economic hardship.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com