By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada
It is both puzzling and painful that a country like Ghana, blessed with fertile soil, favorable climate, hardworking farmers, and vast agricultural potential, still finds itself importing basic food items such as tomatoes from neighboring Burkina Faso. This situation raises urgent questions about planning, policy execution, and leadership accountability within our agricultural sector.
Ghana’s land is not barren. From the north through the middle belt to the forest zones, we possess rich soils capable of producing enough tomatoes and other crops to feed the nation and even export. Yet every year, during certain seasons, markets in Accra, Kumasi, and other major cities depend heavily on imported tomatoes. This is not merely a farming issue; it is a systems failure.
The challenge lies in weak infrastructure, inconsistent policy implementation, high production costs, and poor storage and processing systems. Many farmers produce tomatoes, but a large portion spoils before reaching markets due to inadequate storage facilities, poor road networks, and limited processing plants. When supply drops locally, traders turn to Burkina Faso, where seasonal production and transport systems sometimes function more efficiently.
This should compel us to ask: what is being done with the resources allocated to agriculture? How many irrigation projects are functioning? How many tomato processing factories are operating at full capacity? What percentage of agricultural funding actually reaches farmers? These are not political attacks; they are necessary questions for national progress.
Ghana is rich in cash crops, minerals, and oil. Yet ordinary citizens continue to struggle with food prices, unemployment, and insecurity. A nation so endowed should not be wallowing in preventable economic hardship. Food security and citizen safety must be treated as top priorities, not seasonal talking points.
Recent tragic incidents involving Ghanaian transporters in parts of the Sahel remind us that economic activity and security are closely linked. Traders and drivers who move goods across borders are essential to regional commerce, yet they often operate under dangerous conditions. The killing of transporters is not just a foreign incident, it affects Ghanaian families, livelihoods, and national morale. It also reminds us that many African communities live daily under the shadow of violent extremist groups, facing kidnappings, killings, and displacement.
Extremism in the Sahel is a complex problem driven by armed groups, weak governance in some regions, poverty, and ideological radicalization. Many innocent people across West Africa, of different faiths and backgrounds, are victims of these attacks. Our response must therefore be focused, intelligent, and united: stronger regional security cooperation, intelligence sharing, protection for traders, and support for victims.
At the same time, Ghana must strengthen its own internal resilience, economically, agriculturally, and socially. A nation that feeds itself, creates jobs for its youth, and invests in rural development becomes harder to destabilize. Agriculture is not just about food; it is about national security, economic independence, and dignity.
If Ghana claims to be a sovereign nation, then it must act as such. Sovereignty is not only about flags, speeches, and borders, it is about the ability to feed one’s people, protect one’s citizens, secure trade routes, and make independent decisions that prioritize national interest. A sovereign state should not depend heavily on others for basic food items it has the capacity to produce. True sovereignty is demonstrated through strong institutions, effective leadership, and the courage to turn potential into reality.
Citizens have a duty to ask questions and demand results. Leaders have a duty to provide transparent answers and measurable outcomes. Researching government claims, examining budgets, and holding institutions accountable are not acts of hostility, they are acts of patriotism.
Ghana can produce its own tomatoes. Ghana can protect its farmers and traders. Ghana can build storage facilities, irrigation systems, and processing plants that reduce waste and create jobs. What is required is not merely fertile land, but fertile leadership, leadership that turns policy into action and promises into measurable results.
The time has come for citizens, media, and civil society to keep a firm but constructive watch on our institutions. A resource-rich nation must not accept avoidable poverty or preventable insecurity. Our future depends on how seriously we take these questions today.
