Markets across Accra are witnessing a significant decline in tomato prices, attributed to the current surplus of vegetables during the seasonal glut.

At the CMB tomato market, a once GHS1000-priced large wooden box of tomatoes is now available for GHS800.

Similarly, a substantial basket that previously sold for GHS400 is now being offered at prices ranging from GHS200 to GHS250.

Within the same market, a medium-sized plastic basket of tomatoes, previously valued at GHS150, is now being traded at GHS100.

Madam Theresa Lartey, a representative of the Greater Accra Tomato Traders Association, with over four decades of experience in the industry, mentioned in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that the price decrease is a typical occurrence during every tomato season.

“Tomatoes come in seasons, for instance, during Christmas and Easter, the vegetable is out of season so, prices are higher, but the month of August is when the tomato is in season, that is why as you can see, the market is flooded.

“Right now, sales are low, people quote whatever price they want to give you so, sometimes you sell it at the same price as you bought it from the farmers, and you don’t make any profit because if you don’t accept the price they give you, they will rot.”

“All the tomatoes you see here around this time is from the Ada areas, every tomato you see here is from Ghana, it is not from Burkina Faso…,” she added, saying: “The only time traders go to buy from Burkina Faso is during the lean seasons when tomatoes from Ada and Kumasi are in short supply.”

“Burkina Faso is able to produce tomatoes all year round because they have big dams, and we go there especially around the Easter seasons to boost availability, prices are high around that time because we have to exchange cedis for the CFA …,” Madam Lartey said.

She urged the government to provide support to farmers in enabling year-round cultivation to maintain price consistency.

Tomatoes are acknowledged for their low calorie content and significant nutrients, including vitamin C and potassium.

Furthermore, these vegetables are abundant in antioxidants and are associated with numerous advantages, such as lowering the risk of heart diseases and specific types of cancers.

Experts emphasize that tomatoes hold a pivotal role in the diets of Ghanaian households, with an estimated annual consumption of 440,000 tons. This volume accounts for 40% of household expenditure on vegetables.