The ongoing tomato shortage in Ghana is not just a supply problem but evidence of a deeper structural failure in the country’s vegetable production system, an agribusiness expert has said.
Mr Senyo Kpelly, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical AgriFoods Ltd, said Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes showed that the country had not developed a well-organised vegetable production system capable of meeting domestic demand.
He explained that the problem went beyond farmers alone and reflected a broader failure in planning, coordination and agricultural knowledge, especially in vegetable production.
“This is not just about tomatoes. It is a vegetable production system failure. The country has land, farmers and water, but the system itself is not working,” he said.
Mr Kpelly said the lack of a structured seed system remained one of the major challenges affecting vegetable production in Ghana, noting that many farmers relied on seeds saved from previous harvests, which reduced yield and affected quality.
He also pointed to weak coordination in planting and harvesting cycles, which often resulted in farmers producing tomatoes at the same time, leading to huge losses during the rainy season and shortages during the dry season.
According to him, poor post-harvest systems were also part of the problem, explaining that a significant portion of vegetables produced in Ghana were lost because of poor storage and transportation.
Mr Kpelly said unless Ghana addressed the structural weaknesses in the sector, the country would continue to face repeated shortages and rising prices whenever supply from neighbouring countries was disrupted.
