Tomato farmers at Abansere in the Berekum West District are calling on the government to urgently intervene as large quantities of their harvested produce rot on farms due to lack of buyers.
The farmers say the situation has left them distressed and unable to recover their investments, despite earlier assurances that a local tomato processing factory would purchase their produce if they cultivated specific varieties.
Mr Solomon Dwaase, Chairman of the Berekum Tomato Farmers Association, said some farmers had invested up to GHC80,000 this season, yet buyers were offering between GHC100 and GHC150 per crate, far below the previous GHC1,500.
He said the drastic price drop was pushing many farmers into debt and threatening their livelihoods.
Mr Frimpong George, another farmer, said some of his colleagues had abandoned their farms over loan repayment pressures, while others had expressed suicidal thoughts due to the financial strain.
The farmers urged the government to provide ready markets, strengthen the “Feed Ghana” initiative and halt the importation of tomatoes from neighbouring countries, which they said worsened their plight.
Meanwhile, a buyer, Madam Ama Serwaa, said traders were also struggling, noting that market forces determined the low prices and left them with minimal profit margins.
The farmers are appealing for swift government action to prevent further losses and sustain tomato production in the area.
