An aide to former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu, has urged the John Dramani Mahama administration to continue on the path of the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative introduced by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration to help address unemployment.
She said this would also absorb the country from the effects of the tomato export ban by Burkina Faso.
“There is an opportunity for employment if the government continues on the path of 1D1F,” she said on Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, March 21.
She further stated that the ban on tomatoes by Burkina Faso poses a national security threat. She pointed out that Ghana has not yet reached a level of self-sufficiency in tomato production.
“Tomatoes are essential for food preparation, and a shortage could therefore create a national security crisis,” she added.
“It’s a national security risk. We have not gotten to the level of self-sufficiency when it comes to tomatoes,” she said.
For his part, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu said Ghana has no excuse to fail in agriculture.
He argued that if Burkina Faso, despite its dry land, is able to produce enough tomatoes to consider banning exports, then Ghana, with its more arable land, has no reason to rely on imports.
“We have no excuse,” he said on Key Points on Saturday, March 21.
“This should push Ghana to step up agribusiness; we can’t continue to be fed by Burkina Faso, a dry land,” he added.
He also stressed the need to prioritise processing and value addition in the agricultural sector.
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 affect tomato supply on the Ghanaian market.
This follows Burkina Faso’s directive suspending the export of fresh tomatoes, which took effect on March 16, 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 20, the ministry said the engagement with its Burkina Faso counterparts would seek to address concerns surrounding the ban and chart a mutually beneficial way forward for both countries.
The government reiterated its commitment to working with stakeholders to boost local tomato production under the Feed Ghana Programme and Feed the Industry Programme, aimed at increasing output to meet domestic demand.
The ministry also appealed to tomato traders to remain calm as discussions progress, expressing optimism that an amicable resolution will be reached to restore normal trade flows between the two countries.
