Feature: Tomatoes Crossroads

Feature Tomatoes Crossroads  

Ghana at a Tomato Crossroads: Why Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso Still dominate Ghana’s Markets — and what must Change 

Accra, Feb 20, GNA-The recent killing of Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso has reignited a national debate: why do traders continue to risk their lives sourcing Sahel tomatoes abroad when Ghana cultivates tomatoes domestically? 

 

A national wake up call  

New data from the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana indicate that the country loses an estimated GHS 5.7 billion each year through import dependence, post-harvest losses, and the absence of adequate value-addition infrastructure.  

Ghana spends between GHS 650 and 760 million annually on imports of fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, according to the Chamber.  

Industry sources also rank Ghana among the world’s leading importers of tomato paste.  

At the heart of this dependence lies a simple reality: Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso arrive firm, uniform and market-ready, whereas too many locally grown tomatoes are not. 

Ghana’s tomato breeding gap 

Ghana’s tomato breeding sector reflects both potential and stagnation. Melomey et al. (2019) reviewed the country’s breeding work and noted Ghana maintains a diverse germplasm base, including Local Rano, Powerano, Petomech, Pectofake and Wosowoso.  

They also noted that researchers have developed experimental lines for heat tolerance and longer shelf life, including crosses with the non-ripening gene norA.  

Despite these efforts, no new variety has been released in more than 20 years.  

According to Melomey and colleagues, weak continuity and poor coordination have slowed progress.  

As a result, farmers continue to depend on imported hybrids and farmer-selected lines, many of which lack the durability needed to compete with Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso. 

 

Firmness: The anchor of tomato quality 

Firmness underpins tomato quality. It shapes shelf life, transport resilience, market value and consumer appeal.  

Firmer fruit is usually meatier, retains flavour, resists bruising and microbial spoilage, and maintains its appearance in transit. When firmness declines, losses ripple across the value chain from farmer to trader to consumer. 

Why Ghanaian tomatoes often arrive soft 

The softness in many Ghanaian tomatoes is not simply a genetic issue.  

High humidity, heavy rains and warm night temperatures all speed up softening.  

Farm practices add to the problem. Too much irrigation increases water content, excess nitrogen produces watery fruit, and low calcium weakens cell walls. 

Soil conditions also play a part, as acidity limits calcium uptake, low organic matter reduces fruit density, and poor structure encourages cracking and waterlogging. 

Post-harvest handling often makes matters worse. Wooden crates bruise fruit, poor roads cause vibration damage, and inadequate shade during curing and grading leads to firm and soft fruit being mixed, which accelerates spoilage.  

Tomato firmness is therefore shaped by breeding, soils, agronomy and handling practices, not by farmers and traders alone. 

 

Why Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso perform better 

Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso perform well because they are grown in the dry season under controlled irrigation and low humidity.  

Farmers harvest them at the mature-green stage, cool them in the shade to remove field heat, and handle them in plastic crates to reduce bruising. Varieties such as Roma VF, F1 Mongal, F1 Nadira and the Sahel 108, 202 and 222 lines are bred for firmness and long shelf life, producing meaty fruit that withstands the long journey to Ghanaian markets.  

Ghana can achieve similar quality, but this will require coordinated improvements in breeding, agronomy, soil management and post harvest handling. 

 

The National Tomato Production Strategy (2026–2030) 

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has proposed a National Tomato Production Strategy (2026–2030) to reduce dependence on Sahel tomatoes from Burkina Faso and imported paste. 

The plan aims to create 200,000 jobs across the value chain and establish a GHS 200 million Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Fund.  

It seeks to cut paste imports from over USD 100 million to USD 20 million and raise local tomato usage by processors from 7 per cent to 85 per cent.  

The strategy includes 50 cold storage facilities with a total capacity of 150,000 metric tonnes.  

Although requiring GHS 3.2 billion over five years, it is projected to deliver substantial returns, including GHS 600 million in annual import savings and GHS 180–220 million in additional tax revenue. 

 

Structural Reform: HPUs and a Ghana Horticultural Authority 

Long-term structural reform is a priority for Ghana’s horticultural experts.  

Professor Roger Lure Adamu Kanton, former Chief Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR–SARI) and member of the Ghana Institute of Horticulturists (GhIH), asserts that the vegetable sector requires dedicated institutional support.  

He proposes Horticultural Production Units (HPUs) in key zones to provide coordinated assistance with seedling production, agronomy and irrigation training, soil testing, postharvest handling, quality assurance and market access, ensuring locally grown tomatoes meet market standards and compete with Sahel imports. 

Prof. Kanton and the former GhIH President, Prof. Abdul-Halim Abubakari, also advocate establishing a Ghana Horticultural Authority (GHA) to regulate and coordinate production, enforce quality standards, strengthen research–industry links, drive exports, and support data-driven planning. Such an authority would fill institutional gaps and provide the leadership needed to modernise Ghana’s tomato and vegetable sector. 

 

Government Response 

The Government of Ghana, through the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr  Eric Opoku, has recognised the urgent need to strengthen the country’s tomato and vegetable systems following the Burkina Faso tragedy.  

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is expanding and rehabilitating irrigation under GIDA schemes in Akomadan, Tono, Vea, Kpong and other inland valleys to stabilise dry-season production. 

Protected cultivation is also being scaled up through the Greenhouse Village Initiative in Dawhenya, Akumadan and Bawjiase to support a more consistent year-round supply. 

To reduce reliance on imported tomatoes, the Government is also implementing the Eurybia Project, which prioritises irrigation development across eight regions covering 10,000 hectares and aims to strengthen domestic vegetable production systems, including tomatoes.  

The project also supports farmer training, access to inputs and market linkages to improve productivity and reduce postharvest losses. 

Under PFJ Phase II, MoFA continues to support CSIR–SARI and CSIR–CRI to enhance horticultural research and seed systems.  

Additional measures include investments in cold-chain infrastructure, feeder-road improvements and reinforced security along the Ghana–Burkina Faso corridor to safeguard traders and transporters. 

 

A Call for calm and collaboration 

The Burkina Faso tragedy has highlighted the risks associated with Ghana’s reliance on imported fresh tomatoes, but it also presents an opportunity for renewal.  

Ghana has the expertise, institutions and market demand to significantly expand the production of firm, high-quality tomatoes and reduce dependence on Sahel imports. 

What is needed now is coordinated action: improved varieties, better soil management, controlled irrigation, investment in cold chain systems and structural reform.  

With collaboration among government, researchers, industry and farmers, Ghana can build a more resilient tomato sector and lessen its reliance on fresh tomato imports from Burkina Faso. 

Author: Mildred Osei-Kwarteng, Lecturer, Vegetable Science/Production Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences, UDS 

GNA  

February 20, 2026