Moses Apiah, a journalist with A1 Radio and development communication specialist, has called on the Ghanaian government to leverage Burkina Faso’s recent ban on the export of fresh tomatoes to Ghana as an opportunity to revive the country’s once-thriving tomato industry.
At the same time, he criticized the government’s 24-Hour Market construction initiative in the Upper East Region as a waste of resources.
According to Apiah, the Burkina Faso ban is not merely a protective measure for their own agriculture; it is a signal for Ghanaians to “put their act together” and revisit the country’s lost glory in tomato production.
“Who remembers the Northern Star Production Factory?” he asked. “This was a leading tomato production company in Northern Ghana, a symbol of progress and a source of livelihood for thousands of farmers.”
Apiah recounted the unfortunate events that led to the factory’s closure in 2008, describing it as a combination of arrogance, indifference, and poor management. Under then-manager Kwame Bonsu, the factory had an agreement with local farmers: it would provide subsidized seeds, and the farmers would sell back their harvest at a moderate price.
However, heavy rains destroyed 80 percent of the crops. When farmers requested partial support to replant, Bonsu refused. At harvest, the factory insisted on buying the tomatoes at the original subsidized price, prompting farmers to sell elsewhere. Bonsu ultimately shut down the factory, leaving the region without a major processing facility—a situation that persists to this day.
Apiah emphasized that since the factory’s collapse, successive governments have promised to revive the tomato industry but have failed to implement tangible measures. “Even the NDC government campaigned in 2024 on revamping several factories in the Upper East Region, including the Northern Star Factory,” he said. “A year has passed, and there is still no visible commitment.”
He noted that the few remaining tomato farmers in the region have received minimal government support, particularly in experimenting with climate-resilient seeds or learning from regional best practices. Apiah also recalled a late initiative by Mr. Francis Annor to enable farmers to study tomato production methods in Burkina Faso, which was dismissed by the NPP government and Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu as “useless” and denied funding.
“Burkinabé people are serious, and their youth are thoughtful and forward-thinking compared to us,” Apiah said. “The only time you see a Ghanaian youth thinking critically is when defending a politician—and that, I say, is a sign we are cooked.”
He further criticized government spending on the 24-Hour Markets in the region, calling it a “most wasteful, unthinkable, zero-plan, and visionless initiative.” He questioned the feasibility of these markets, asking, “What will they be selling? Nkoko Nkitinkiti?”—highlighting the lack of planning and vision behind the project.
He concluded by urging Ghanaian authorities and stakeholders to seize the current opportunity. “Burkina Faso made a smart move by banning the export of fresh tomatoes. We must use this as a vehicle to revitalize our tomato industry—from farming to the production of canned and processed products—so that we can regain our lost economic glory.”
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Bolgatanga
