Ghana: Focus on storage facilities and transportation infrastructure to check high post-harvest losses

Published Sep 5, 2024

Tridge summary

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has called for increased investment in cold storage facilities and transportation infrastructure to reduce the country's post-harvest losses, which are estimated to be around US$600 million annually. The lack of adequate infrastructure and support for research has resulted in heavy reliance on tomato imports from countries like Burkina Faso and Morocco, and annual spending of US$400 million on fresh tomatoes. The CAG has urged the government to prioritize rural infrastructure development and provide support to farmers to combat these losses and potentially transform Ghana's tomato industry, reducing dependency on imports and boosting economic growth.

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Original content

Insufficient investment in cold storage facilities and transportation infrastructure must be tackled head on to combat post-harvest losses. Every year, Ghana loses some US$600million in overall post-harvest losses, according to the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG). It is in view of this that the CAG has tasked stakeholders, including government, to adequately prepare for the incoming tomato bumper season in order to reduce age-old inevitable post-harvest losses. CAG explained that the upcoming tomato bumper season will span late December through April and May 2025. The seeming lack of priority for the above has largely accounted for reliance on imports from countries like Burkina Faso and Morocco. Mr. Anthony Selorm Morrison, CEO-CAG, blames the problem on neglected rural infrastructure, inadequate cold chain and storage facilities and limited support for research. Government has not prioritised the development of essential infrastructure in rural areas, as poor road networks ...

Source: Thebftonline