A market survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) has revealed a shortage of tomatoes at the Sunyani main market.
During a visit to the market at around 11:00 AM on Thursday, vegetable vendors conveyed that “tomatoes and onions are currently in short supply within the market.”
Despite an extensive search through the main market, no vendors were observed selling tomatoes. However, a handful of them had onions available for sale.
Traders explained that despite a significant increase in market demand recently, they have been unable to procure an adequate supply of these items for sale.
“Tomatoes and onions are difficult to get,” Ataa Abenaa, one of the market women stated.
The traders, however, attributed the scarcity partially to the political turbulence in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, which are major producers of tomatoes and onions, respectively.
They highlighted that a considerable number of customers prefer tomatoes and onions from these neighboring countries due to their superior quality and moisture content. These imported varieties are less prone to rapid spoilage.
Mr. Stephen Oduro, the National Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Tomatoes Producers Federation, corroborated the scarcity report in certain areas of the Bono Region. He urged the government to consider constructing irrigation reservoirs to enhance local farmers’ productivity. Additionally, he appealed for the establishment of storage facilities, as the arrival of the rainy season had led to the deterioration of their tomato stock.
By providing irrigation systems and storage infrastructure, farmers could cultivate seedlings throughout the year, countering the current weather unpredictability that has impeded domestic tomato production.
Unfortunately, Mr. Dennis Amenga Abugri, the Bono Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, was unavailable for comment regarding the situation.