The current tomato shortage in Ghana has brought to the fore Burkina Faso’s vegetable production strategy and what Ghana needs to change, an agribusiness expert has said.
Mr Senyo Kpelly, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical AgriFoods Ltd, said Burkina Faso had built a more organised system of vegetable production that focused on seed quality, timing and market demand.
He explained that farmers in Burkina Faso followed a more disciplined approach to vegetable farming, especially during the dry season when demand in Ghana was highest.
Mr Kpelly said Ghana could learn valuable lessons from the country’s structured approach to vegetable production, particularly in the areas of seed systems, irrigation planning and market-driven farming.
He further added that farmers in Burkina Faso used organic manure like cow dung, hen poops and goat manure rather than relying on expensive fertilizers.
“Even if they use fertilizers, they used them during the growing stage of the plant so it’s very healthy and has long shelf life”, he stressed.
He said the current crisis should encourage policymakers to rethink the country’s vegetable production strategy and invest more in improving the sector.
