President John Dramani Mahama has criticised Ghana’s continued dependence on tomato imports in Ghana, describing the situation as “quite a shame” after Burkina Faso’s temporary ban on fresh tomato exports exposed weaknesses in the country’s food supply chain.
Speaking at the Kwahu Business Forum, the President said the disruption should serve as a wake-up call for Ghana to strengthen domestic agricultural production and reduce its reliance on neighbouring countries for staple food items.
“People said it was going to be an emergency… there would be a crisis, a shortage of tomato,” he said, referring to concerns that followed Burkina Faso’s export restriction.
“We can produce what we import”
President Mahama questioned why Ghana, with its favourable climate and natural resources, still imports basic food products that can be cultivated locally.
“Why should that be the case when they even produce in the Sahelian region? We have better climate and conditions for producing tomato here.” - President John Dramani Mahama
He revealed that Ghana spends about US$3 billion annually on imports, with a substantial portion going into food items that the country has the capacity to produce.
“We have the land, we have the water, we have the sunshine… and so it’s still quite a shame that we have to import things like that,” the President added.
Government launches crisis tomato production plan
In response to the disruption, the President announced that government has begun a “crisis tomato production” programme aimed at boosting local supply and reducing vulnerability to external shocks.
The initiative includes the development of 60 hectares of irrigated land to support year-round tomato cultivation, a move intended to stabilise supply and reduce seasonal shortages.
However, Mahama stressed that increasing farm output alone will not be enough to fix the problem.
“It’s not enough to just grow the tomatoes. We should also put in the processing capacity so that we won’t have tomato gluts.” - President John Dramani Mahama
Private sector to lead agribusiness drive
The President said agriculture and agribusiness will be central to a broader economic transformation agenda focused on jobs, industrialisation and private sector growth.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance is preparing a wider “new economy” policy framework that will prioritise sectors with strong employment potential, including agriculture.
“We want to move from just stabilising the economy to creating more jobs… things that generate a lot of jobs,” he said.
Mahama emphasised that the new push will be private sector-led, with government acting as an enabler rather than an operator.
“Government is not going to own or run any of those projects… the private sector will establish and run them,” he said.
He said the tomato supply disruption, while concerning, has created an opportunity for Ghana to build a more self-sufficient and resilient food economy.
READ ALSO: Mahama Calls Emergency Cabinet Meeting over Rising Fuel Prices
