Through the Feed Ghana initiative, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture hopes to eliminate Burkina Faso’s estimated GH₵4 billion in tomato imports per year.
Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, stated that the government is attempting to achieve this with a comprehensive agricultural program that also includes a decentralized buffer stock system, new irrigation projects, and a soy processing factory.
Mr. Opoku stated that the actions are a component of the government’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, which was introduced by President John Dramani Mahama over the weekend, in an interview with Citi FM on Monday, April 14, 2025.
“Every year, we spend GH₵4 billion on the importation of tomatoes from Burkina Faso. If Burkina Faso is able to produce tomatoes, why is it that we cannot do it here in Ghana, in spite of the fertile soil that we have and all the agricultural endowment,” Mr Opoku stated.
He said that tomatoes, peppers, and onions will be the focus of a new vegetable production effort known as the “Eurybia” project.
“We import onion from Niger, which is estimated around GH₵240 million annually. We also spend close to GH₵3 billion on the importation of pepper,” Mr Opoku said.
He went on to say that in order to help absorb produce from nearby farms, the government is collaborating with a vegetable processing company.
Eight areas have been chosen for the initial stage of an irrigation development plan as part of the “Irrigation for Wealth Creation” initiative, the minister said.
Ten thousand hectares of land will be covered in this phase.
Additionally, Mr. Opoku announced a collaboration between a private investor and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to build a soya bean processing facility in the country’s north.
Forty percent of the facility will be owned by the government.
According to Mr. Opoku, the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company has undergone a restructuring and its activities have been decentralized to regional offices in order to help manage post-harvest losses and enhance market access.
“We have a team in place. The policy document was generated, and we have invited AGRA to be part of it to finalise everything for us.”
“The agriculture transformation plan also includes the establishment of 50 Farmer Service Centres across selected farming districts.”
“The first of these will be sited in the Atebubu-Amantin District, which the ministry has identified as one of the country’s leading food-producing areas.” he reiterated.
Source: newsthemegh.com