The site of a rice farm plagued by drought in the Volta Region.
The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) has revealed that rice production in the Volta Region of Ghana faces bleak consequences this year due to ongoing drought conditions which are disrupting production in some parts of the Region.
According to the body, farmers in the Akatsi North and South districts in the Volta Region have been gravely affected by poor rainfall patterns and are likely to lose their entire output for the 2021/2022 season.
“In Ketu South alone, over 700 hectares of rice have been lost to the drought. “The problem covers several areas including Kpoglu, Avalavi, Klenomadi and Avie in Ketu North, Akatsi in Akatsi South, Tongu Districts, Afadzato South District and Hohoe Municipal areas,” the President said.
This comes as a blow to the sector, which is an attempt to wean the country off rice importation by achieving self-sufficiency in production by 2025.
As if that is not enough, the affected farmers will have to wait till next year before they can earn some income.
Speaking to the reporter, President of GRIB Nana Agyei Ayeh II said some members of the farmers reached out to him to ascertain the situation and find a solution to the looming danger.
The President, together with some of the officials of the John A. Kufuor Foundation paid a working visit to the farms, and on their observation, several hectares of rice under cultivation are lost due to climate change and low levels of rainfall in these communities.
The woes of the farmers are further exacerbated by the huge investments they have already made in land preparation, seeds, and fertilizer.
However, the provisional production figures by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) indicate that about 973, 000 metric tonnes of rice were produced in Ghana in 2020. But, this figure could be hard to match in 2021 if the current situation persists.
Nana Agyei Ayeh II revealed that the existing dam structure which was built to harvest water to irrigate the farmlands is in a dire state of disrepair, leaving farmers at the mercy of the harsh weather conditions.
“We cannot continue with rain-fed agriculture. As you can see, this year, farmers have lost their investments simply because the rains failed them.
We would like to appeal to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide dugouts for these areas. These will aid in water conservations for the purposes of irrigation in such times like what we facing now” he added.
Oyster Agribusiness has reinforced its commitment to strengthening Ghana’s agricultural value chain, honouring more than 40 farmers at its 2026 Farmers’ Durbar while outlining plans to scale support, diversify production and deepen value addition.
At this year’s ceremony, 12 farmers were recognised as top performers for the 2024 and 2025 cropping seasons. Awards included tricycles, motorbikes, deep freezers, planters, fertiliser applicators and knapsack sprayers, alongside agrochemicals. Persons with disabilities also received targeted support, including wheelchairs, highlighting the company’s focus on inclusion.
Some farmers from Kintampo and its environs at the event
For the 2024 season, Nana Edmund A. Kandituo of Kyinya was named Overall Best Farmer after producing 246 bags of sorghum. Tiwaa Felicia of Kobeda No. 2 won Best Female Farmer, while Haruna Duut, also of Kobeda No. 2, was adjudged Best Farmer with Disability with a yield of 68.4 bags. Likpaam Mamey recorded the highest yield per acre at 27.72 bags.
In the 2025 season, Mohammed Ahmed of Kawanpe emerged as Overall Best Farmer with 304 bags. Dora Yeboah of Bantama was named Best Female Farmer(94.16 bags), while Ibrahim Ibn-Iddrisu of Kadelso won Best New Farmer (190.38 bags).
Some farmers receive their prizes at the event
Other awardees included Kofi Mwene (Best Youth Farmer, 138 bags), Jaboni Ninboti (Best First Season Farmer, 27 bags), Diekuu Alosius (Best Farmer with Disability, 74.54 bags) and Alice Ankomah (Highest Yield per Acre, 24 bags).
Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Bidzakin, Esq. said the company’s growth reflects a deliberate strategy to combine input support, climate-smart training and guaranteed market access.
“Our approach is to build a resilient and inclusive agricultural ecosystem where farmers are not only supported to produce but are assured of markets and opportunities to increase their incomes,” she said, adding that women, youth and persons with disabilities remain a priority in programme design.
Mrs Elizabeth Bidzakin, Esq, CEO, delivering the welcome address at the event
She disclosed that Oyster Agribusiness is expanding beyond staple crop production into vegetable farming, poultry, livestock and aquaculture, sectors she described as critical to job creation and long-term sustainability. The company is also scaling value addition, with products such as tuo zaafi flour, peanuts, gari and melon seeds being processed to unlock higher market value.
Currently operating in 10 districts in Bono East, the company has extended its footprint to the Ejura-Sekyedumase and Mampong municipalities in the Ashanti Region, supporting about 30,000 farmers annually.
Its expansion has accelerated in recent years. From 64 farmers cultivating 182 acres in 2022, the programme grew to 192 farmers on 1,600 acres in 2023, and 1,409 farmers across 5,000 acres in 2024. In 2025, participation rose to 2,470 farmers cultivating 8,129 acres across 10 districts.
The momentum has continued into 2026, with support extended to 120 communities in the first season. About 2,500 farmers have already registered to cultivate nearly 10,000 acres during the major rainy season.
Bono East Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, James Adu, commended the company’s contribution to smallholder development, describing its work as a “yeoman’s service” to the sector.
He said the Ministry would integrate Oyster Agribusiness’ activities into its monitoring framework to promote modern and sustainable farming practices.
“As we celebrate the dedication of our farmers, it is important that all stakeholders, government, private sector and development partners, strengthen collaboration to address persistent challenges including market access, infrastructure gaps and climate risks,” he said.
Kintampo Municipal Director of Agriculture Eric Kontomah echoed the call for partnership, noting that sustained agricultural growth depends on coordinated support across the value chain. He reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to extension services, input access and capacity building, particularly for young people entering agriculture.
On behalf of the Kintampo Municipal Chief Executive, Coordinating Director Johnson Nyarko highlighted the company’s role in addressing long-standing market constraints, which have historically led to post-harvest losses and low farmgate prices.
Beneficiary farmers shared testimonials at the event. Gifty Awuni from Nyamebekyere said her yields and income had improved significantly since joining the programme in 2023, while Haruna Duut noted that increased production had enabled him to better support his family and fund his children’s education.
Some beneficiaries were given tricycles to aid in their farming activities
The annual durbar, held in Kintampo, brought together over 650 farmers, development partners and municipal officials to celebrate the contribution of smallholder farmers to food security and economic growth. Organised to motivate producers and recognise excellence, the event forms a central pillar of the company’s farmer engagement strategy.
Representatives from development partners, including IDH, RDF LBG, the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre and Calli Ghana Ltd, attended the durbar alongside traditional leaders and local officials.
Following the recent suspension of tomato exports from Burkina Faso to Ghana, the Agribusiness Students Association of Ghana (ABSAG) has conducted a rapid field-based study titled “Rapid Assessment of Tomato Supply Disruption in Ghana”.
The study was undertaken to assess the immediate effects of the disruption on traders, transporters, and consumers across key tomato markets in Ghana. Although Burkina Faso has now lifted the export ban, the apparent restoration of supply should not be interpreted as a recovery. Instead, it reveals the extent to which Ghana’s tomato market depends on external supply to maintain stability. The current moment is therefore not one of resolution, but of temporary relief within a structurally fragile system
The survey covered major trading centres namely; Ashanti, Northern, and Volta Region, including market centres such as Tech Junction–Ayigya Market, Abinkyi Market, and Choggu Market. These markets represent key distribution and consumption hubs within Ghana’s tomato value chain.
Findings from the study reveal that the export ban has intensified existing vulnerabilities in Ghana’s tomato sector. Respondents consistently reported sharp increases in tomato prices, with some markets recording price hikes from GHS 250 to GHS 500 per box, from GHS 500 to GHS 800, and, in extreme cases, up to GHS 1,300–3,000 per box, depending on size and availability.
These extreme price movements are not merely market reactions to a temporary shortage; they represent the behaviour of a system lacking internal stabilising mechanisms. The rapid escalation underscores how quickly Ghana’s tomato market becomes unstable when external supply is disrupted. At the same time, supply has become irregular and significantly reduced, with traders noting slow restocking and difficulty accessing sufficient stock for their businesses.
The study further indicates that Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes, particularly from Burkina Faso, plays a critical role in stabilising supply during the dry season. However, the recent export restriction has exposed the fragility of this reliance. Some traders reported sourcing between 40% and 100% of their stock from Burkina Faso prior to the disruption, highlighting the extent of the market’s external dependence. This level of dependence suggests that Ghana’s tomato market does not function as a self-regulating system but rather as one that is externally stabilised. With the lifting of the ban, this dependence is restored rather than reduced, effectively resetting the conditions for future vulnerability.
This situation is consistent with emerging national reports. According to News Ghana, tomato traders in Sunyani have already begun experiencing price increases and shortages following Burkina Faso’s decision to suspend tomato exports to prioritise domestic processing needs. The report further notes that the suspension, which took effect on March 16, 2026, has significantly affected cross-border trade flows and market stability in Ghana. Similar concerns have been reported across other media platforms, indicating widespread market anxiety over future supply shortages and price volatility.
Transporters within the tomato value chain have also been significantly affected. Operators along major routes such as Navrongo–Bolgatanga–Tamale–Techiman–Kumasi–Accra and Ho–Kpando–Accra reported reduced trip frequency, increased fuel costs, road insecurity, theft, and delays at checkpoints and borders. These challenges have resulted in declining incomes and further constrained the movement of tomatoes from production zones to consumption markets. These logistical constraints amplify the effects of supply shocks, meaning that even when imports resume, inefficiencies within domestic distribution continue to undermine market stability.
Consumer behaviour has also shifted in response to rising prices. Many consumers are purchasing smaller quantities or seeking alternative food items, reflecting price sensitivity in the tomato market. This adjustment behaviour demonstrates that rising prices in the tomato market do not translate into proportional gains for traders or producers, but instead suppress overall market activity, reinforcing income instability across the value chain. This has, in turn, negatively affected traders’ sales volumes and incomes, creating a situation where higher prices do not necessarily translate into higher profitability.
While the lifting of the export ban is expected to ease immediate supply constraints, it risks creating a false sense of stability. The underlying structural conditions that produced the crisis—seasonality, weak infrastructure, and external dependence—remain unchanged. Overall, the findings highlight a complex and interconnected set of challenges affecting Ghana’s tomato value chain. These include seasonal production gaps, overreliance on imports, inadequate storage infrastructure, poor road networks, high transport costs, and security risks along transport corridors. The export ban from Burkina Faso has therefore served as a shock, exposing and intensifying existing structural weaknesses in the sector.
The current moment presents a narrow policy window. If structural interventions are not implemented during this period of temporary stability, Ghana is likely to experience repeated cycles of disruption and recovery. In response, stakeholders proposed several interventions, including government support for local tomato farmers, investment in irrigation and year-round production systems, construction of storage and processing facilities, improvement of road infrastructure, and enhanced security along transport routes. These measures are seen as essential to reducing Ghana’s dependence on external sources and strengthening the resilience of the tomato industry.
In conclusion, while the lifting of Burkina Faso’s export ban may temporarily restore supply, it does not address the structural weaknesses within Ghana’s tomato sector. The events surrounding the ban have demonstrated that the system is highly sensitive to external shocks and lacks internal resilience. Without deliberate investment in production systems, storage infrastructure, and market coordination, Ghana will remain vulnerable to future disruptions. The critical question is no longer whether supply has resumed, but whether the system has been strengthened to withstand the next shock.
Issa Seidu, one of the accused persons in the ongoing Tema Port rice container case being prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has been taken back into custody following his arrest for breaching his bail conditions according to report.
Seidu was arrested on 13th April, 2026 at the Kotoka International Airport while preparing to travel out of the country on an official trip facilitated and sponsored by the National Insurance Commission.
His attempted departure is said to have violated bail terms that required him to remain within the jurisdiction unless expressly permitted by the court.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Accra High Court (Criminal Division), Criminal Court 1, on 15th April, 2026, where the court ordered that he be taken back into custody pending further proceedings.
Issah is currently standing trial alongside three others in connection with the seizure of 10 containers of rice at Tema Port.
The development has also drawn attention to Seidu’s professional role, as a staff of the National Insurance Commission, which reportedly sponsored the trip in question.
The arrest has the public asking questions as to how the travel arrangements were made in the context of his bail restrictions.
Background
OSP charges four persons over attempted hijack of rice containers at Tema Port
The Office of the Specila Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that four public officials have been formally charged with corruption in connection with a high-profile attempt to unlawfully acquire ten containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.
The accused—Issah Seidu of the National Insurance Commission, James Keck Osei, a former Director at the former Vice President’s Secretariat, and Customs officers John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde, allegedly conspired to seize the containers using forged documents and a falsified letter purporting to originate from the Office of the Vice President.
According to court filings, the rice was legally imported from Thailand in 2022 and all required duties had been duly paid. However, Seidu, with support from the other accused, attempted to secure the release of the containers through the Ghana Revenue Authority’s auction process under false pretences.
The accused persons manipulated official processes with the aim of diverting the containers for their personal gain, the OSP revealed.
Internal investigations by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), coupled with a High Court ruling, brought the scheme to light.
The four are expected to appear before court on Friday, 27 June 2025, where they will answer to multiple counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, corruption, and abuse of public office.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has assured the public that it will pursue the case vigorously to its logical conclusion, warning that more officials could be implicated as investigations continue.
This case follows growing public scrutiny of corruption within Ghana’s public service and a renewed pledge by the current administration to restore integrity to state institutions.
Ghana’s drive to expand industrial capacity and move up the value chain delivered a record performance in 2025, as non-traditional exports surged, driven by strong growth in cocoa processing and other value-added commodities.
The shift away from raw material dependence is increasingly reshaping the country’s trade structure and strengthening its position in regional and global markets.
According to data from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the top ten non-traditional export products generated $3.28 billion in 2025, equivalent to about $2.42 billion. This marks a 53% increase from roughly $1.59 billion in 2024. These leading products accounted for 65.48% of total non-traditional export earnings, with the average value per product in the top tier reaching about $242 million.
GEPA described the performance as evidence of “a broader structural shift in Ghana’s export strategy, from raw commodity dependence to processed and semi-processed goods.”
At the centre of this transformation is cocoa processing, which continues to anchor Ghana’s export earnings while evolving into a more diversified industrial base.
Cocoa paste remained the single largest export earner, generating $789.3 million in 2025. This reflects a 70.97% year-on-year increase and underscores Ghana’s deepening investment in domestic processing capacity rather than in raw cocoa exports.
Secondary cocoa products recorded even faster expansion, driven by demand from Europe and other industrial markets. Cocoa butter exports rose to about $469 million following a 120.18% increase, while cocoa powder climbed to approximately $173 million after a 112.97% rise. GEPA noted that the cocoa sector as a whole achieved earnings of about $3.69 billion, describing it as a “historic milestone” for the country’s value-added export agenda.
Beyond cocoa, agricultural diversification continued to strengthen Ghana’s export base. Cashew nuts generated roughly $219 million, reflecting steady expansion in the sector. The shea industry also recorded strong momentum, with shea nuts rising to about $131 million and shea oil reaching approximately $129 million, supported by growing demand from the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Industrial and fisheries exports also contributed to the overall performance. Articles of plastics rose to about $203 million, aluminium products reached approximately $121 million, and canned tuna exports climbed to around $157 million. Collectively, manufactured and semi-processed goods accounted for more than 83% of total export earnings, signalling a clear shift towards industrial output.
However, not all sectors performed strongly. Iron and steel exports declined slightly to about $233 million amid pressure from volatile global prices and intensifying international competition.
GEPA attributed this divergence to external market conditions, even as broader export performance remained robust.
Ghana’s international cash cows
In terms of trade destinations,Europe retained its dominance, with the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France emerging as key markets.
At the same time, intra-African trade continued to expand, supported by demand within the Economic Community of West African States. Regional trade now accounts for 30.36% of Ghana’s non-traditional export earnings.
GEPA chief executive Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur said the figures reflect “Ghana’s growing competitiveness in regional markets,” highlighting the importance of ongoing initiatives such as the Accelerated Export Development Programme to improve production standards and capacity.
The results were unveiled during the launch of the 2025 Non-Traditional Export Statistics Report on 17 April 2026, which underscored Ghana’s accelerating integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
Overall, the 2025 performance points to an economy increasingly anchored in industrialisation and value addition, as Ghana positions itself as a rising manufacturing and processing hub in West Africa.
The Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Ghana’s leading engineering body, has called for the prioritisation of engineering in the quest to make the country food secure.
Delivering a communiqué on the institution’s 56th Annual General Meeting and Engineering Conference in Accra on April 14, 2026, the President of GhIE, Ing Ludwig Annang Hesse, asserted that one of the consensuses reached at the conference was that Ghana can only become food secure if engineering becomes central to the food production value chain.
He indicated that the issues of food security, including post-harvest losses, limited mechanisation, infrastructure gaps, increasing climate variability, as well as inefficiencies in storage and transportation systems, continue to bedevil the country because the role of engineering has not been fully harnessed.
“Food security remains one of the most critical challenges confronting our nation. Across the country, we continue to face significant postharvest losses, limited mechanisation, infrastructure gaps, and increasing climate variability. Inefficiencies in storage, transportation, and processing further compound the situation.
These are not isolated agricultural problems; they are systemic challenges that require deliberate and coordinated engineering solutions.
“One of the most important outcomes of this conference is a clear and unified position: engineering must take its rightful place at the centre of Ghana’s agricultural transformation. For too long, engineering has been treated as a support function within agriculture. That approach is no longer sufficient,” he said.
Ing Annang Hesse stated that it is only through engineering that all the challenges that lead to food insecurity, including climate change, can be resolved.
Engineering is the enabler that connects production to markets, innovation to impact, and policy to measurable results. The conference underscored the need to approach food security holistically across the entire food value chain.
From production systems that depend on irrigation, mechanisation, and precision technologies, to post-harvest management, where the greatest losses occur, the role of engineering is indispensable.
“Without adequate storage, cold-chain systems, and processing infrastructure, the gains made at the production stage are often lost,” he said.
The president went on to present a summary of some key action points from the conference, which was held in the capital town of the Volta Region, Ho, from March 16 to March 20, 2026, on the theme “Engineering the Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Value Chain,’ as follows:
Ghana’s food security challenge must be treated as an engineering priority, requiring an urgent but structured national response and action.
The government should accelerate investment in irrigation systems to enable all-year farming and reduce dependence on rainfall.
The agriculture sector must shift to mechanisation, technology and data-driven production systems, and must be supported by the necessary incentives and support programmes by the government.
Road infrastructure must be improved to ensure efficient transportation of farm produce to markets and processing centres.
There must be major investment in post-harvest systems, including storage, cold chains, and agroprocessing, to reduce losses and boost value addition.
Renewable energy solutions should be deployed at scale to power irrigation, storage, and agroindustrial activities.
The country must adopt data-driven and precision agriculture, backed by national systems for soil, climate, and water data.
Research, local innovation, and circular economy solutions should be strengthened to transform
waste into energy, fertiliser, and other useful inputs.
The government should implement policy reforms and innovative financing, including land tenure security and stronger public-private partnerships.
Investment in people, especially the youth and women, to develop the appropriate skills in engineering, science, technology and agribusiness.
The Chief Executive Officer of Development Bank Ghana, Prof. Randolph Nsoh-Ambala, has explained that government’s $500 million oil palm financing facility is intended to catalyse private sector investment and transform Ghana’s oil palm industry.
The facility, announced in the 2026 Budget by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, will provide long-term financing for players in the oil palm value chain, including a five-year moratorium on both principal and interest payments.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on oil palm financing in Accra, Prof. Nsoh-Ambala explained that the initiative is designed to restructure the sector, improve productivity, and strengthen local processing capacity while reducing the country’s dependence on imported palm oil.
“There have been some confusions around what this represents,” he noted. “What government seeks to do with this fund is to transform the various fragmented production units within the value chain into a coherent ecosystem that will allow us to achieve supply chain sovereignty—reducing our dependence on imports while meeting local demand.”
According to him, the facility aligns with government’s broader strategy of leveraging public financing to crowd in private sector capital for priority sectors of the economy.
“Like all government priority projects, the underlying philosophy is that for us to achieve sustainability, we must create the conditions for the private sector to play a leading role,” he added.
Meanwhile, the President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana, Paul Kwabena Amaning, has called on government to prioritise organised farmer groups and cooperatives in the rollout of the facility.
He stressed that structured support for farmer associations is critical to boosting productivity, improving efficiency, and expanding market access within the oil palm sector.
“The financing facility must be carefully designed to support organised groups and associations, strengthen agro-systems, improve processing capacity, and promote value addition at the community level,” Amaning stated.
He further urged government to implement the programme within a clear timeline to ensure tangible results.
“Within the first six months, we should see structures in place and pilot funding begin. Within 12 to 18 months, we should see expansion in plantations, replanting efforts and processing. And within three to five years, we should see real results—reduced imports and increased local production,” he said.
The $500 million facility is expected to support plantation expansion, enhance domestic processing, and create jobs across Ghana’s oil palm value chain while strengthening the country’s drive toward greater self-sufficiency in palm oil production.
The Adjen Kotoku onion market has been shut down after armed men from a rival faction allegedly stormed the area in an attempt to take control, leaving several traders injured and raising fresh security concerns.
The incident, which has disrupted trading activities at one of the country’s key onion hubs, is also said to be linked to growing allegations of political interference in the management of the market.
Spokesperson for the Onion Sellers Association, Mustapha Sulemana Talimu, confirmed the closure on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and described the situation as troubling for traders whose livelihoods depend on the facility.
“We can confirm that the market has been shut down following the attack,” he said, adding that the violence has created fear among traders and halted business operations.
The development also comes amid reports that trucks carrying onions bound for Ghana have been blocked in Nigeria, in what is believed to be a retaliatory action connected to an earlier dispute involving some Ghanaian traders.
Speaking to Citi News, spokesperson for the Onion Sellers Association, Mustapha Sulemana Talimu, called for urgent government intervention to prevent further escalation of the situation.
“As I speak, they are with guns… they said they don’t want anybody in the market,” he said.
He added that previous interventions to resolve the dispute had not been sustained, prompting renewed tensions.
Traders at the market are appealing for swift security action to restore calm and ensure an uninterrupted supply of onions to local markets.
The Sachet water producers have clarified that the recently announced GH¢15 price for a bag of sachet water is a maximum retail limit and not a uniform selling price across the market.
According to Kwame Agyapong-Ntra, the price cap is intended to serve as a guideline in response to rising production costs driven by global economic pressures.
Speaking on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, he explained that escalating crude oil prices—largely linked to tensions in the Middle East—have significantly increased the cost of polymers used in sachet water production.
He further noted that suppliers have declared force majeure, resulting in higher input costs and forcing producers to review their pricing structures.
“The Middle East conflict has had repercussions on fuel prices. The material we use is derived from petroleum, so when oil prices rise, the cost of production also increases. This informed the decision to adjust prices. The maximum price will be ¢15.
“It is inaccurate to suggest that sachet water will be sold at 15 cedis across the board. Even with rising costs, prices are not expected to exceed that ceiling.
“We cannot predict when the conflict will end, and even if it does, it will take time for prices to stabilise. A force majeure has been declared by suppliers, leading to increased costs, and we have had to respond accordingly,” he stated.
Mr Agyapong-Ntra emphasised that retailers are not obligated to sell at GH¢15 unless market conditions make it necessary, stressing that prices may vary depending on operational costs and supply conditions.
The Government of Ghana has welcomed Burkina Faso’s decision to lift the suspension on the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) for fresh tomatoes, describing the move as a significant boost to supply and market stability.
In a press statement issued by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the government said the development follows improvements in tomato supply to local processing factories in Burkina Faso, as well as commitments by stakeholders to prioritise domestic industrial needs.
It noted that the decision is expected to restore the flow of fresh tomatoes into Ghana and ease recent shortages on the local market.
The statement further indicated that the outcome reflects ongoing bilateral engagements between the two countries.
It highlighted discussions led by the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and her Burkinabe counterparts on the sidelines of the WTO MC14 in Yaoundé, which contributed to the resolution.
According to the Ministry, efforts will continue to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial trading environment, with sustained engagement between both governments and key stakeholders in the tomato value chain.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local production through initiatives such as Feed the Industry and Feed Ghana, alongside investments in irrigation, large-scale cultivation, and support for processors to ensure a stable and sustainable supply of tomatoes in the long term.
Maphlix Trust Ghana, operators of Maphlix Farms located at Dawhenya in the Greater Accra Region, is set to supply 3,000 tonnes of tomatoes to the Ghanaian market as part of efforts to strengthen local production and enhance food security.
This comes at a very opportune time to cushion the country following the ban on tomato exportation imposed by Burkina Faso.
The good news was revealed when the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, toured the facility to assess ongoing operations and interact with management and technical staff.
The visit forms part of the Ministry’s broader engagement with key private sector players to boost agricultural productivity and reduce the country’s reliance on imported food commodities.
During the tour, the Minister inspected the farm’s irrigation systems, nursery units, and open-field cultivation areas.
He expressed satisfaction with the effective utilization of the facility’s infrastructure and commended the management for their commitment to modern, technology-driven agriculture.
He particularly highlighted the farm’s investment in the production of high-quality tomato seeds, describing it as a critical intervention to improve yields and address long-standing challenges in the tomato value chain.
“The brief we have received from those managing the center, indicates that, by the end of the year, they are able to produce 3000 tonnes and again the open field activities they are engaged in would increase the output that they envisage from this site. So looking at what they are doing, especially the open field activities we think that things are underway to ensure sufficient production of tomatoes to feed the Ghanaian people,” the Minister stated.
Harvesting activities have already commenced at Maphlix Farms, with produce being harvested at three-day intervals.
This consistent harvesting cycle is expected to ensure a steady supply of fresh tomatoes to the Ghanaian market, to curtail hikes in prices while meeting growing consumer demands.
He further noted that the expansion of both greenhouse and open-field production systems at Maphlix Farms presents a strong model for year-round tomato cultivation, which is essential in stabilizing supply and prices across seasons.
Addressing concerns raised by tomato traders regarding the quality and shelf-life of locally produced tomatoes, the Minister indicated that the Ministry is actively collaborating with research institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop improved, climate-resilient seed varieties suited to Ghana’s agro-ecological conditions.
These efforts are expected to enhance the quality, durability, and market competitiveness of Ghanaian tomatoes.
The Minister also used the opportunity to reassure the public that there will be no shortage of tomatoes in the country.
He encouraged consumers and traders to remain calm and desist from panic buying, emphasizing that ongoing interventions by government and private sector actors are yielding positive results.
The management of Maphlix Farms reiterated their commitment to scaling up production and investing in innovative farming practices to meet growing domestic demand.
They noted that beyond primary production, the company is exploring opportunities in processing and value addition to minimize post-harvest losses and create additional income streams.
Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited is a key player in Ghana’s food production and processing industry.
The company is engaged in the cultivation and sale of a wide range of crops, including vegetables, grains, and root and tuber crops.
In addition to producing exporting major commodities such as yam, orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), fresh vegetables, and fruits, the company also adds value to root and tuber crops including cassava, yam, and potatoes, contributing significantly to job creation and the growth of the agricultural sector.
