The Upper East Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, is calling for the establishment of guaranteed market systems, storage facilities, and processing centres to support farmers, particularly vegetable producers dealing in perishable goods.
He said putting these measures in place would encourage more farmers to invest in large-scale vegetable production.
Mr. Abdallah Salifu made the remarks following a recent decision by the Burkina Faso government to ban the export of fresh tomatoes to Ghana. The ban is expected to take effect by the end of March 2026.
“Upper East, as we know it, used to be the hub of vegetable production. No wonder we had a tomato factory here. But at a point, we had to switch. That is why you see a lot of our farmers now doing pepper, onions, and green pepper. As a country, we have to focus. Let us have guaranteed markets for buyers. Let’s promise and make sure that when they farm, they can sell,” he said.
He added that when farmers are assured of ready markets with prices that reflect the true cost of production, they will be better positioned to support Ghana’s push toward tomato self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, a private agribusiness firm, Farmmate, is stepping in to boost tomato production in Ghana, with a focus on the Upper East and Upper West regions.
The company is building on gains made during the 2025/2026 crop season as part of efforts to strengthen local production and reduce reliance on imports, particularly as Burkina Faso prepares to enforce its export ban.
Mr. Abdallah Salifu disclosed this during an interview on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show with Seidu Mutawakil.
“There’s a company called Farmmate that has stepped in. They are saying that they want to take advantage of this situation. Last year, what they did was to pilot the initiative in some areas within the Upper East and Upper West regions. They had some success with the pilots, so I am told that in the next crop season, which starts this year, they are building on what they did last year,” he said.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
