Okyere Baafi calls for private-sector led tomato industry, warns ECOWAS protocols no longer guarantee

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South and Ranking Member on Trade, Michael Okyere Baafi, has urged government to prioritise a private-sector-driven agricultural policy to end Ghana’s dependence on tomato imports from Burkina Faso.

Speaking on regional trade and security developments in a zoom meeting on Kessben Digest, the lawmaker expressed condolences to victims of recent terrorist attacks in the Sahel and cautioned that the security situation in the region has become increasingly volatile.

Mr. Baafi said Ghanaian traders can no longer rely on protections under Economic Community of West African States protocols because the Sahel states are no longer fully aligned with the bloc.
According to him, the suspension of Burkina Faso from ECOWAS and the emergence of the Sahel Alliance has complicated free movement and trade guarantees.
He stressed that although the African Continental Free Trade Area promotes open trade across Africa, insecurity in the Sahel undermines its benefits for Ghanaian traders.

Mr. Baafi also referenced the growing geopolitical interest of Ghana in the Sahel, noting that shifting alliances partly explain the tensions affecting commerce in the region.

Turning to agriculture, the MP questioned why Ghana continues to import tomatoes despite having fertile land across several farming belts.
He accused the government for not laying down mouth watering incentives in attraction private sector participation.

Adding to the discussion, the Executive Director for Peasant Farmers Association, Dr. Charles Nyarba
recalled that before 2008, areas such as Tuobodom, Akumadan, Kintampo, Navrongo and Ada produced large quantities of tomatoes but farmers abandoned cultivation due to lack of reliable markets and processing capacity.
He cited the collapse of state-led interventions, including attempts to revive the Pwalugu/Northern Tomato Factory and support schemes for early farmers, saying they failed to guarantee sustainable demand.

“There is no need for Ghanaian traders to travel to Burkina Faso for tomatoes when we have the land to produce enough locally,” he said.

Mr. Nyarba argued that government should not dominate production but rather create incentives for investors.
He proposed:
tax incentives for agro-processors
irrigation and water-retention infrastructure
reliable off-taker agreements
credit access for farmers.
He noted that farmers in Burkina Faso receive subsidies and equipment from their government, making their produce cheaper and more competitive in Ghanaian markets.

According to him, Ghana can achieve self-sufficiency and even export tomatoes if the right commercial ecosystem is created.
“Encourage the private sector and sustainability will follow,” he emphasised.