Kofi Ahovi

  Ghana and Burkina Faso have agreed to resume cross-border trade in eggs and tomatoes following bilateral discussions that also produced commitments to negotiate a formal trade agreement and establish a joint mechanism to resolve future trade disputes. The breakthrough ends restrictions imposed by Burkinabe authorities on egg imports, which were introduced as a precautionary measure over quality concerns involving eggs from some exporting countries. The agreement was reached during a high-level engagement between officials of the two countries as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and enhance regional economic integration. In a statement, the Government of Ghana said it remains committed to protecting the interests of Ghanaian producers and exporters while fostering stronger commercial ties with neighbouring countries. The Government assures the private sector of its continued commitment to safeguarding the interests of Ghanaian traders and producers while promoting str...

  By Francis Atayure Abirigo When Memory Feels Like Evidence There was a time in Ghana when the idea of tomato scarcity in March would have sounded almost absurd. For those of us who grew up in the Kassena-Nankana areas in the 1980s and 1990s, tomatoes were not just a crop. They were an economy, a culture, and in many ways, a future for the youth. I do not speak from hearsay. I was part of that system. I farmed. I dug wells with my own hands. I drew water with buckets and ropes to water my beds of tomatoes. I watched seasons rise with promise and fall with loss. Today, those same lands tell a different story. And if we are honest with ourselves, this is not an accident. It is a policy failure. The Golden Era of Dry-Season Farming In the Upper East Region, particularly within Kassena-Nankana communities such as Doba, Kandiga, Mirigu, Manyoro, Nayagegnia, Nyangua, Navio, Nakolo and Pungu (not exhaustive), dry season farming was once the backbone of local livelihoods. Tomatoes dominat...

 Ghana plans to produce between 200,000 and 300,000 metric tonnes of tomatoes within the next two to three years, particularly during the dry season, as part of efforts to reduce imports, the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has said. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, 18 February, Dumelo said the country is scaling up tomato production through irrigation, research and direct support to farmers. Our yearly demand is almost 800,000 metric tonnes. And hopefully, by the end of two to three years, we should be doing about 200,000 or 300,000 metric tonnes, especially in the dry season,” he said. He noted that Ghana has, over the years, made several attempts to become self-sufficient in tomato production. It would be interesting to know that over the years, we’ve tried so many ways to be able to be self-sufficient when it comes to tomato production,” he said. “As we speak, there are certain irrigation facilities around the country where trials are...

   It’s yet again that time of the year in the Upper West Region of Ghana especially within the Wa Municipality where there is a lot of tomatoes in the market. Many farmers are harvesting the product and there appear to be a glut. A few weeks ago, this was the case of watermelon. There was a glut of it in the market in places like Paala in the Wa West and other watermelon production centres. Though attempts have been made to explain the situation as being occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been different in pre -Covid-19 era.  Hence, as usual the glut comes with the challenges of post-harvest loss (PHL) of tomatoes and watermelon and consequently losses in incomes of farmers. Situation of PHL in Watermelon and Tomatoes Post-harvest loss is one of the major challenges in the agriculture value chain. It is generally defined as all the quantitative and qualitative losses that are incurred along the commodity value chain after harvest until the produce reaches th...

It appears that inasmuch as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many economic activities and led to job losses, other sectors of the economy are making gains. Ghana for instance imports a chunk of its fresh tomatoes from neighboring Burkina Faso, but the closure of borders coupled with low production, has shifted the focus to local tomato farmers at Tuobodom in the Techiman North District of the Bono East Region. The local farmers have witnessed an exponential increase in demand by buyers who would have usually imported from Burkina Faso. Ghana loses CFA56 billion, approximately $99.5 million to Burkina Faso through the importation of fresh tomatoes annually. Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana, and the subsequent closure of the country’s borders, Burkina Faso was the main destination for fresh tomato importers who neglected tomatoes produced in places like Tuobodom.   But following the continuous closure of the borders, women who travel to Burkina Faso for fresh tomatoes are ...