The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has welcomed Burkina Faso’s decision to lift its ban on tomato exports to Ghana, saying the move will help stabilise prices on the local market.

Speaking with Ama Konadu in an interview on ‘Adea Akye Abia’ morning show at Sompa Fm-Sunyani, Mr. Dumelo noted that the development comes as a relief to consumers and traders who have faced fluctuations in tomato prices in recent months.

“Now that Burkina Faso has lifted the ban, prices of tomatoes will be stabilised,” he said.

Despite the positive development, the Deputy Minister emphasised the need for Ghana to reduce its reliance on imported tomatoes. 

He explained that achieving self-sufficiency in tomato production will take time, estimating that it could take between three to four years to fully develop the necessary systems.

“It is not a one-day thing. If we want to stop importing tomatoes, it will take about three to four years to develop the whole system,” he added.

Mr. Dumelo expressed optimism that within the next five farming seasons, more market women will increasingly purchase tomatoes from local farmers as domestic production improves.

He also highlighted government interventions to address seasonal gluts and post-harvest losses, including the establishment of a tomato processing factory in Asante Akyim North and smaller processing plants in key growing areas to preserve surplus produce.

He reiterated that while the lifting of the ban is welcome news, government remains committed to strengthening local production and building a sustainable tomato value chain in Ghana.

Sompaonline.com/Derrick Djan