Burkina Faso’s ban on tomato export poses national security risk to Ghana – Akosua Manu

An aide to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu, has said that the ban on export of tomatoes by Burkina Faso poses a national security threat.

She points out that Ghana has not gotten to the point where it can boast of being self-sufficient when it comes to tomatoes.

“Tomatoes are needed for food preparation, hence if the country lacks them, it poses a national security crisis,” she added.

“It’s a national security risk. We have a situation where we have not gotten to level of self-sufficiency when it comes to tomatoes,” she said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, March 21.

For his part, Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu said that Ghana has no excuse to fail in its agriculture.

He says that if Burkina Faso, which has dry land, is able to produce more to even consider banning export, then Ghana, with its arable land, has no reason to be importing tomatoes.

“We have no excuse,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, March 21.

“This should cause Ghana to step up agribusiness; we can’t continue to be fed by Burkina Faso, a dry land,” he added.

“We also have to look at processing and value addition. Look at the land, we have a lot of arable land here, we have no excuse, people in the desert are doing serious farming,” he added.

The Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has announced plans to engage authorities in Burkina Faso over the country’s decision to suspend the export of fresh tomatoes, a move expected to impact tomato supply on the Ghanaian market.