Ghana: Farmers demand solution to tomato post-harvest losses, as bumper season nears

Published 2024년 9월 4일

Tridge summary

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has called on stakeholders, including the government, to improve infrastructure and combat post-harvest losses during the upcoming tomato bumper season from late December 2024 to April and May 2025. The CAG highlights insufficient investment in cold storage and transportation as a key issue, leading to losses worth US$60 million annually and prompting reliance on imports. The chamber argues that neglected rural infrastructure and inadequate storage facilities force farmers to sell quickly at lower prices due to spoilage. They are urging for government support to address these challenges and transform Ghana's tomato industry, currently losing US$600 million in post-harvest losses each year, into a self-sufficient and net exporting one.

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Original content

By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has tasked stakeholders, including government, to adequately prepare for the incoming tomato bumper season in order to combat and reduce the age-old inevitable post-harvest losses. The CAG and affiliate farmer groups have said insufficient investment in cold storage and transportation infrastructure must be addressed to tackle the menace for the upcoming tomato bumper season, which will span late December through April and May 2025. CAG explained that seeming lack of priority for the above provisions further exacerbates the problem, forcing reliance on imports from countries including Burkina Faso and Morocco. Every year, Ghana loses some US$600million in overall post-harvest losses according to CAG. Losses from tomato each year, according to the Chamber, average US$60million. But CEO-CAG, Anthony Selorm Morrison, blamed the problem on neglected rural infrastructure, inadequate cold chain and storage facilities and ...

Source: Thebftonline