Tomato sellers Sunyani Municipality in the Sunyani Municipality at the weekend expressed fear that the Municipality is likely to experience shortage of fresh tomatoes, if the government fails to intervene, amid export restrictions in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
During a visit to the Sunyani Daily Market, Nana Yaa Konama, the queen of the Tomato Sellers Association called on the government to construct irrigation facilities and also motivate growers to produce fresh tomatoes year-round, regardless of crop seasons.
Nana Konama told Sompa FM that tomato growers in the country had the capacity, saying that with irrigation facilities and other input support, they could produce enough tomatoes to feed the nation, without necessarily relying on imports.
She expressed worry that the municipality and parts of the Bono Region were gradually suffering the brunt of the Burkinabe’s restrictions on the export, saying that the market price for fresh tomato was gradually going up.
Nana Konama noted that besides the restrictions in Burkina Faso, many tomato traders were now unwilling to trade in Burkina Faso because of safety reasons, saying that: “The road out there isn’t safe and we can’t risk our life any longer”.
Another tomato seller at the Sunyani Daily Market, only as Madam Elizabeth confirmed that fresh tomatoes were expensive now at the market, saying that many of her customers had now opted for tomato paste.
Sompaonline.com/Stella Kyere
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