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.
Ghana News
MTN Ghana Reveals Massive Fiber Cable Sabotage Crisis Disrupting 157 Network Sites
Accra, Ghana – MTN Ghana’s Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett has raised serious concerns about the escalating wave of fiber-optic cable sabotage and damage, revealing that recent incidents have knocked 157 network sites offline and severely degraded service for millions of customers across the country.
Speaking at the MTN Ghana Accra Media and Stakeholder Forum on April 17, 2026, Blewett described fiber cuts as one of the biggest operational challenges currently facing the company.
He explained that because fiber cables serve as the critical backbone linking multiple cell towers to the core network, a single cut — often caused by road construction or deliberate theft — can trigger widespread connectivity failures across entire suburbs and commercial areas.
“It’s not really just talking about cutting fiber to someone’s home,” he said. “When you cut fiber, you bring down all those sites, and that’s problematic.”
The disruptions are driven by two main factors: uncoordinated road expansion works and acts of vandalism or theft. Blewett noted that such incidents are not minor inconveniences but major threats to reliability, affecting businesses, hospitals, emergency services, and everyday users.
Despite MTN’s heavy investment in 4G and 5G infrastructure, the physical vulnerability of the fiber network continues to undermine service quality.
The CEO called for fiber-optic cables to be classified as Critical National Infrastructure to impose stricter legal penalties and urged better coordination between construction agencies and telecom operators.
As Ghana pushes its Digital Ghana agenda, analysts say resolving this “perennial headache” is essential for maintaining a robust and reliable digital economy.
Ghana News
Woman Demands GH¢150,000 from UK ‘Borga’, MTN Reveals Massive Fiber Sabotage and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
We are bringing you the most relevant stories from Ghana today to keep you updated. Stories include an interesting dispute between a woman and her UK-based partner, revelations about major telecom infrastructure sabotage, health alerts on Mpox, and other key national developments.
Woman Demands GH¢150,000 from UK ‘Borga’ After He Allegedly Failed to Marry Her
Esther Latebia, a mother of two from Kasoa, is demanding GH¢150,000 in compensation from Mr Osei, a UK-based Ghanaian known locally as a “borga,” after he allegedly failed to honour his promise of marriage following a six-year romantic relationship conducted mainly through video calls. According to her account shared on Nhyira FM’s Obra Show, Mr Osei promised to build her a house, buy her a taxi for work, waive her rent until the house was completed, and support her two children until they completed tertiary education or found jobs. He also promised to marry her as his second wife. After six years, he reportedly changed his mind and withdrew all commitments, leaving her feeling used and seeking redress.
Read the full story here
A Muslim Woman’s Vision of the Second Coming of Jesus: A 30-Year Burden Finally Told
A 69-year-old Muslim woman from Ghana has finally shared a powerful spiritual vision she received in the 1990s about the second coming of Jesus Christ, a 30-year secret she kept due to fear, community pressure, and misunderstanding from both Muslims and Christians. In the vision, she stood in a massive global market where people were trading gold, diamonds, and engaging in various activities when a divine presence behind her instructed her to tell the world that “Jesus Christ is coming — very soon.” Despite the urgent message echoing across the market, no one seemed to notice or listen. The experience left her in uncontrollable tears the next morning, leading to years of isolation as she struggled to understand why, as a Muslim, she would receive such a message.
Read the full story here
157 Sites Disrupted – MTN CEO Reveals Massive Scale of Fibre Cable Sabotage
MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett has revealed that recent fibre-optic cable sabotage has knocked 157 network sites offline, causing widespread connectivity failures across multiple suburbs and affecting millions of customers. Speaking at the MTN Ghana Accra Media and Stakeholder Forum on April 17, 2026, he described fibre cuts — caused by uncoordinated road construction and deliberate theft or vandalism — as a “serious threat” to seamless service delivery. The interconnected nature of the infrastructure means a single cut can bring down numerous cell towers, disrupting businesses, hospitals, and emergency services. MTN is advocating for fibre-optic cables to be classified as “Critical National Infrastructure” to impose stricter penalties and is calling for better coordination of construction schedules.
Read the full story here
CHASS Warns Schools May Shut Down Over Free SHS Feeding Crisis
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has warned that many Senior High Schools could be forced to shut down if the current crisis in the Free SHS feeding programme is not urgently addressed. School heads report severe delays in the release of feeding grants, leaving them unable to provide meals for students and forcing some schools to rely on credit from suppliers. The situation has created significant operational challenges and raised concerns about the sustainability of the flagship education policy. CHASS is calling on the government to release outstanding funds immediately to prevent further disruption to academic activities.
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Ghana’s NTEs Hit $5.006 Billion in 2025
Ghana’s Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) reached a record $5.006 billion in 2025, representing a more than 30% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare. Launching the 2025 Ghana Export Promotion Authority report in Accra, the minister described the growth as strong evidence that the country’s export diversification agenda is gaining momentum. NTEs now account for about 16% of Ghana’s total export earnings, signalling a gradual shift away from heavy dependence on traditional commodities like gold, oil, and cocoa. The government continues to support exporters through improved production capacity, quality standards, and access to finance via the Ghana EXIM Bank.
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Vice President Opoku-Agyemang in Spain to Participate in Fourth High-Level Meeting
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has arrived in Barcelona, Spain, to participate in the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the Initiative “In Defence of Democracy.” She was received by members of the Ghanaian community in Spain, led by Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain, Madam Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe. The Vice President is expected to join global leaders in high-level discussions focused on strengthening democratic governance and advancing collective efforts to safeguard democratic values worldwide.
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Ghana Health Service Confirms Over 1,000 Cases of Mpox
The Ghana Health Service has confirmed four new cases of Mpox, bringing the national total to 1,062 as of April 11, 2026. No new hospital admissions have been recorded, while the death toll remains at eight. Surveillance is ongoing across all 16 regions, with health teams actively monitoring to prevent further spread. Mpox is transmitted mainly through close physical contact, and the public has been advised to maintain strict hygiene, avoid contact with unusual rashes, and seek early medical care for flu-like symptoms.
Read the full story here
Ghana News
Ghana to Open New Embassy in Singapore in Bid To Strengthen Trade Ties with Asia
Accra, Ghana – The Government of Ghana has formally initiated high-level diplomatic engagements with Singapore to establish a permanent embassy in the Asian financial and technology hub, marking a strategic expansion of its global diplomatic presence.
The announcement follows a working visit by a Ghanaian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs James Gyakye Quayson to Singapore from April 10 to 15, 2026.
During discussions with Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development, Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Ghana officially conveyed its intention to open a resident mission.
The proposed embassy aims to enhance consular services for Ghanaian nationals, facilitate trade and investment flows, and deepen institutional cooperation in technology, capacity building, and economic development.
This move forms part of a broader foreign policy drive by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish new diplomatic missions and permanent chanceries in strategic locations, while reducing heavy reliance on rented premises that currently cost the state around $15 million annually.
Earlier commitments outlined at the 2025 Conference of Heads of Mission include opening missions in Massachusetts (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Lisbon (Portugal), and Singapore by 2026. Recent developments under this agenda include the opening of a new chancery in Ethiopia in February and planned missions in Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Serbia, and Hungary.
Singaporean authorities welcomed the proposal and expressed strong commitment to expanding bilateral ties with Ghana. Officials from both sides see the new mission as a platform to boost South-South cooperation and tap into Asia’s dynamic economic opportunities.
The establishment of the embassy is expected to be completed within the government’s 2026 diplomatic expansion timeline.
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