Tomato paste has become a kitchen essential in Ghana, forming the base of stews, soups, and sauces across the country. Over the past several months, demand has steadily risen, reflected in consistent price increases and its place among the top twenty contributors to national inflation.
According to the national food basket data, tomato paste recorded a month-on-month price jump of 8.1% in March 2025, while fresh locally harvested tomatoes saw a 4.9% drop over the same period.
The difference in price movement underscores the continued reliance on processed paste in households, even as locally grown tomatoes remain available, and reflects the persistent gap between domestic supply and paste needs.
Ghana produces roughly 300,000 metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually, mostly in the northern and middle belt regions. Despite this, the country’s industrial processing capacity is limited, leaving a large gap between local supply and the growing demand for paste.
To bridge this gap, reports indicate Ghana imports over 78,000 metric tonnes of tomato paste each year. These imported products offer convenience, longer shelf life, and consistent quality, but dependence on imports exposes the market to global shipping costs, supply-chain disruptions, and foreign-exchange fluctuations, all of which push prices higher.
Fresh tomatoes are abundant during harvest seasons, yet post-harvest losses remain high due to poor storage, limited transport infrastructure, and a shortage of processing plants that can produce paste year-round.
These factors prevent locally grown tomatoes from meeting national paste demand. Imported tomato paste has become a visible driver of inflation. November data show an 18.4% year-on-year increase, far above the headline inflation of 6.3% and a 0.4% month-on-month rise, contributing 0.2 percentage points to overall inflation.
Even small monthly price increases can significantly affect household budgets and business operations. Restaurants, caterers, and other food businesses either absorb higher costs or pass them on to customers, which ultimately impacts consumer spending.
The country grows abundant fresh tomatoes, yet the appetite for processed paste continues to rise, sustaining imports and inflationary pressures. Until local processing capacity improves and post-harvest losses are reduced, imported tomato paste will remain a key factor in food prices.
