Ghana News
Explainer: Why Is Ghana, a Nation of Farmers, Importing Its Own Staple Food?
At first glance, the image is jarring: in Ghana, a nation with vast agricultural potential, fresh tomatoes—a staple of local cuisine—have become a scarce and expensive commodity.
In the markets of Accra, a small bowl of four tomatoes can sell for the equivalent of over a dollar, pricing out many families. Traders watch helplessly as their stock rots within days, while farmers in the north abandon tomato fields for more resilient crops.
But the crisis now gripping Ghana’s tomato sector is not merely a story of bad weather or seasonal shortage. It is a textbook example of how the convergence of infrastructure failure, climate vulnerability, post-harvest losses, and a perilous dependence on imports can unravel a nation’s food system.
The Infrastructure Deficit: When Dams Run Dry
Ghana’s tomato production was once anchored by major irrigation infrastructure in the north, particularly the Tono and Vea dams. These projects, built decades ago, were designed to enable year-round farming, allowing the country to produce tomatoes even during the long dry season.
Today, that system has collapsed. Broken dams, neglected canals, and a lack of investment in maintenance mean that water no longer flows reliably to the fields. Without irrigation, tomato farming becomes a gamble on rainfall—a high-risk endeavor in an era of increasing climate volatility.
As a result, farmers in the Upper East Region are shifting to less perishable, more water-efficient crops like pepper, rice, and garden eggs. The logic is sound: why invest months of labor in a crop that may wither without water, and even if it survives, may rot before reaching the market?
The Post-Harvest Problem: A GH¢250 Million Annual Loss
Even when tomatoes are successfully grown, the battle is only half won. Research data indicates that fruit and vegetables in Ghana suffer post-harvest losses of between 30 and 50 percent annually. For tomatoes, the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana estimates that approximately 45 percent of domestic production—worth GH¢250 million—rots each year.
The culprit is a near-total absence of cold chain infrastructure. From the farm gate to the wholesale market to the retail stall, tomatoes move through a system with no refrigeration. Ripe tomatoes have a shelf life of two to three days at ambient temperature. Without cold storage, every hour of delay is a measurable loss.
This inefficiency carries a staggering economic cost. The chamber estimates that the domestic tomato industry loses approximately GH¢5.7 billion annually when accounting for import costs, foregone tax revenue, post-harvest losses, and unrealized wages from an estimated 250,000 potential jobs that do not exist due to import dependence.
The Import Trap: 1,159 Kilometers of Risk
With domestic production in decline, Ghana has turned to its northern neighbor, Burkina Faso, to fill the gap. Today, the country imports over 75,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually, primarily from Burkinabè farms. At first glance, this appears to be a straightforward case of regional trade.
But the reality is far more precarious. The journey from the tomato-growing regions around Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso to the main markets in Accra spans more than 1,159 kilometers. Under ideal conditions, the trip takes over 20 hours. In practice, traders report that it can take up to 50 hours—more than two full days—due to poor roads, traffic congestion, and delays at border crossings.
By the time the fruit arrives in Accra, its shelf life is already exhausted. Traders must sell within hours or watch their investment rot. The margin for error is zero.
This journey has now become not only economically unsustainable but physically dangerous. In a recent terrorist attack near Ouahigouya, seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed when their truck was attacked. The incident has thrown the continuity of this cross-border trade into doubt, with traders reportedly instructed to suspend travel for one month.
The Processing Gap: Leaving Value on the Table
Perhaps the most striking symptom of the crisis is the absence of tomato processing capacity. In functioning agricultural systems, surplus production during peak seasons is absorbed by processing factories, which convert fresh tomatoes into paste, puree, or canned products that can be stored for months or even years.
Ghana has no such capacity. When local tomatoes flood the market during the July harvest, prices collapse, and farmers lose money. Without factories to buy the excess, the surplus rots. Meanwhile, Ghana remains the largest importer of tomato paste in Africa and the second largest globally—spending millions annually to buy back what it could have processed itself.
The contrast with Burkina Faso is instructive. Despite being a poorer nation, Burkina Faso has invested in tomato processing infrastructure, launching two major factories in recent years. The government has signaled its intention to restrict raw tomato exports to encourage local processing—a move that, if implemented, would deal a severe blow to Ghana’s food security.
The Policy Disconnect
Successive Ghanaian governments have announced plans to address these challenges. The revival of the Pwalugu tomato factory has been promised. Irrigation rehabilitation has been discussed. Import restrictions have been floated to protect local farmers.
Yet on the ground, nothing has changed. Traders still watch their tomatoes spoil. Farmers still lack access to water. The country still hemorrhages foreign exchange to import what it could grow itself.
For the women selling tomatoes in Tudu market, these distant policy discussions offer little comfort. As one trader put it, scanning the shrinking pile of fruit before her: “God is able to help us to provide for our families.”
In a functioning agricultural economy, divine intervention would not be required. Cold storage, irrigation, and processing facilities would suffice.
Lessons for the Global South
Ghana’s tomato crisis offers a cautionary tale for emerging economies across Africa and beyond. Agricultural development is not solely about production—it is about the entire ecosystem that surrounds it. Irrigation infrastructure, cold chain logistics, processing capacity, and transport networks are not luxuries to be added after the fact. They are the essential scaffolding without which production cannot translate into prosperity.
When that scaffolding collapses, the consequences ripple outward: farmers abandon the land, traders face impossible risks, consumers pay higher prices, and nations surrender their food sovereignty to forces they cannot control.
The tomatoes rotting in Accra’s markets are not just food gone to waste. They are a measure of how far a country must go to build a system that truly works.
Toronto, Canada – A Ghanaian pastor and 14 other individuals have been arrested in Vaughan, Ontario, following a major year-long investigation by York Regional Police into an alleged sophisticated fraud scheme that diverted nearly $100,000 from a Canadian program designed to prevent homelessness.
Isaac Oppong, 38, described as the ringleader and a former pastor at Miracle Arena for All Nations from 2018 to 2025, was arrested alongside Richard Owusu, 27, Christiana Oppong, 41, and 12 other non-Ghanaian suspects. The group faces multiple serious charges, including fraud, identity fraud, laundering proceeds of crime, and conspiracy.
The investigation, dubbed Project Great One, was launched after officials detected several suspicious applications to the Homeless Prevention Program (HPP) containing false or misleading information between January and December 2024. Police estimate that approximately $99,600 was fraudulently obtained from the program, which provides emergency housing support to vulnerable people at risk of homelessness. During the probe, officers executed searches on 12 homes and 10 vehicles, uncovering evidence of what they described as a well-organized and sustained operation.
Oppong is alleged to have used his position of trust within the religious community to recruit others into the scheme. The case has sparked concern within both the Ghanaian diaspora and Canadian faith communities, as the funds were intended to support some of society’s most vulnerable individuals. Advocates have warned that such actions erode public trust in social support systems and deprive genuinely needy people of critical assistance.
Police say the investigation remains active, and they have not ruled out the possibility of additional suspects or victims coming to light. They have appealed to the public for any information that could help determine the full scale of the alleged fraud.
London, United Kingdom – A Ghanaian national, Duane Owusu, has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years and six months in prison for the murder of 27-year-old deaf woman Zahwa Mukhtar, whom he punched and abandoned on a roadside in east London.
Owusu, 36, of Althorne Way in Dagenham, was convicted at the Old Bailey after a trial that revealed a tragic sequence of events on the night of August 15–16, 2025. Mukhtar, who had never met Owusu or his group before, joined them during a night out.
After drinking and taking drugs, tensions escalated inside an overcrowded Mercedes. When the group stopped near a garage in Chadwell Heath Lane, Owusu forcibly removed Mukhtar from the car, threw her phone away, kicked towards her as she lay on the ground, and delivered a forceful blow to her neck. She fell backwards, hitting her head, and suffered a fatal fractured skull and brain injury. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 06:21 BST.
Judge Richard Marks KC described Owusu’s actions as showing complete disregard for Mukhtar’s welfare. He noted that while Owusu may not have immediately realised the severity of her injuries, he “couldn’t have cared less.” The judge also highlighted Owusu’s previous criminal record, including an eight-year sentence in 2010 for acting as a getaway driver in a fatal robbery.
Mukhtar’s brother, Jamaluddin, described her as a “remarkable young woman” who overcame deafness caused by meningitis at age three and never let her disability hold her back. The family expressed deep grief, calling her loss an “immeasurable void.”
The case has drawn attention to issues of violence against women and the vulnerabilities faced by deaf individuals in social situations. Owusu was released on bail pending any appeals.
Ghana News
Berekum Chelsea Robbery Suspects Arrested, Power Supply Disruptions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
We have curated the most relevant stories from Ghana to keep you informed. Today’s news cycle covers the arrest of suspects in the tragic armed robbery incident involving a football team, power supply disruptions due to technical faults, scheduled electricity maintenance, and other key developments in governance, justice, and national affairs.
Police Arrest Two Over Deadly Robbery Attack on Berekum Chelsea Team Bus
Police have arrested two suspects, including the alleged gang leader, in connection with a deadly armed robbery attack on the Berekum Chelsea team bus that resulted in the death of one player. The incident occurred as the team was returning from a Ghana Premier League match against Samartex 1996 at Samreboi. Six armed men blocked the VIP bus carrying about 30 players and officials around 10:30pm, opened fire, and forced the driver off the road. A police intelligence team later engaged the suspects in a shootout, injuring one who is now receiving treatment. The Ghana Police confirmed the arrests and stated that further details will be communicated. The attack has sent shockwaves through the football community.
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OSP Has Grounds to Appeal High Court Decision on Prosecutorial Powers – Prof Appiagyei Atua
Legal expert Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei Atua has stated that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has strong grounds to appeal the recent High Court decision that questioned its prosecutorial powers. The High Court had ruled that the OSP lacks independent authority to prosecute cases and directed the Attorney-General to take over all ongoing cases until proper authorisation is granted. Prof. Appiagyei Atua argued that the ruling raises important constitutional questions and that the OSP is well-positioned to challenge it at the Supreme Court level. The development has sparked debate on the independence of anti-corruption institutions in Ghana.
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Major Fault at Ghana Gas Processing Plant Triggers Power Supply Disruptions
A major technical fault at the Ghana Gas Processing Plant, caused by the complete failure of the Burner Management System controller for the Heat Medium System, has led to an emergency shutdown and temporary curtailment of gas supply to thermal power plants. The incident, announced in a joint press release on April 15, 2026, by Ghana Gas and the Ghana Grid Company, has resulted in power supply disruptions in some parts of the country. Engineers are working around the clock to replace the damaged system and carry out a comprehensive technical and safety risk assessment. Operations are expected to resume today, April 16, 2026, pending the outcome of the assessment. The companies have apologised to the public for the inconvenience.
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ECG Announces Planned Maintenance for April 16: See Full List of Affected Areas
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced planned maintenance works across four regional districts on Thursday, April 16, 2026, resulting in temporary power outages in several communities within the Central, Accra West, Tema, and Accra East Regions. The maintenance exercises, scheduled between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm depending on the location, are part of ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and enhance power supply reliability. Affected areas include Saltpond Zongo, Kurankyekrom, Otsir, Anomabo in Central Region; Dome CFC Estates, Gbawe Bulemin, Gonse, Joma Agbozome in Accra West; Lashibi, Community 19 Annex, Klagon in Tema Region; and parts of Nmaidzor and School Junction in Accra East. ECG has apologised to customers and advised them to make alternative arrangements during the specified hours.
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We Still Don’t Know 2020 Election Result Because ‘Unanimous FC’ Protected Jean Mensa – Tsatsu
Renowned legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata has criticised the Supreme Court panel that handled the 2020 presidential election petition, claiming it failed to allow proper questioning of Electoral Commission Chair Jean Mensa. Speaking at an Honourific Lecture and Award ceremony held in his honour by the University of Professional Studies, Accra on April 15, 2026, Tsikata described the panel as a “unanimous FC” for allegedly shielding Mensa. He pointed to inconsistencies in the results announced by Mensa and later corrections by the EC, arguing that the lack of testimony has left Ghanaians without a definitive accounting of the 2020 election outcome.
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Don’t Resign, Relax and Collect Your Pay – Prof Prempeh to Special Prosecutor
Former Education Minister Prof. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) has advised the Special Prosecutor not to resign but to “relax and collect your pay” amid ongoing legal challenges to the office’s prosecutorial powers. The outspoken MP made the remarks in reaction to the recent High Court ruling that questioned the OSP’s authority. He argued that the Special Prosecutor should remain in office and continue performing his duties while the legal battles play out in the courts.
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Ten Killed in Deadly Crash on Accra-Kumasi Highway
Ten people have been killed in a tragic road accident on the Accra-Kumasi highway. The crash occurred when a vehicle lost control and collided with another, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. Emergency services responded promptly, but the incident has once again highlighted concerns over road safety on one of Ghana’s busiest highways.
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Strong Exports Lift Ghana’s Q4 2025 Trade Surplus to GH¢47.2bn
Ghana recorded a strong trade surplus of GH¢47.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by robust export performance, particularly in key commodities. The positive trade balance reflects improving external sector conditions and stronger global demand for Ghanaian goods. Economists say sustained export growth will be critical for maintaining macroeconomic stability.
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Ghanaian Pastor and 14 Others Arrested in Canada for Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Fraud
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