By Francis Atayure Abirigo
When Memory Feels Like Evidence
There was a time in Ghana when the idea of tomato scarcity in March would have sounded almost absurd. For those of us who grew up in the Kassena-Nankana areas in the 1980s and 1990s, tomatoes were not just a crop they were an economy, a culture, and, in many ways, a future for the youth.
I do not speak from hearsay. I was part of that system. I farmed. I dug wells with my own hands. I drew water with buckets and ropes to irrigate my beds of tomatoes. I watched seasons rise with promise and fall with loss.
Today, those same lands tell a different story. And if we are honest with ourselves, this is not an accident it is a policy failure.
The Golden Era of Dry-Season Farming
In the Upper East Region, particularly within Kassena-Nankana communities such as Doba, Kandiga, Mirigu, Manyoro, Nayagegnia, Nyangua, Navio, Nakolo, and Pungu (not exhaustive), dry-season farming was once the backbone of local livelihoods.
Tomatoes dominated production. Pepper, garden eggs, okro, onions, and watermelon complemented the system, but tomatoes were king.
Farmers began planting as early as October to secure early harvests, which sold at higher prices between December and February. A second cycle, planted between December and January, extended harvests into April and May.
This was not subsistence farming. It was organized, predictable, and commercially viable. As the Akan proverb says, “Se wo werɛ fi na wosankɔfa a, yenkyi” it is not wrong to go back for what you have forgotten. Ghana must remember this system.
A Thriving Market System Driven by Women Traders
At the heart of this agricultural success was a vibrant market network led largely by women traders commonly referred to as “Tomato Queens” particularly from southern Ghana.
These traders travelled long distances, settled temporarily in towns like Navrongo and Bolgatanga, and moved across farming communities to purchase tomatoes directly from producers.
Mini-markets sprang up organically. Food vendors, water sellers, transport operators, and traders of clothing and footwear all benefited. The local economy pulsed with life.
The Tono and Vea irrigation dams were central to this ecosystem, supporting tomato production in the dry season and rice cultivation during the rainy season.
It was, in many respects, a self-sustaining rural economy with little or no support from government. Rather, district assemblies collected taxes from farmers at the point of sale.
The Unfortunate Turning Point: When the Market Walked Away
Then, slowly but decisively, things began to change.
The same traders who once sustained the local economy began to bypass Ghanaian farmers, crossing into neighboring Burkina Faso to source tomatoes often in plain sight of security forces at Navrongo and the Paga border.
Their reasoning was simple Burkina Faso’s tomatoes were firmer, more resilient, and less prone to post-harvest losses. Ghana’s tomatoes, by contrast, were softer and perished quickly.
What seemed like a minor shift in preference became a structural rupture. This transition became known as the “Wagyea Tomato Business,” emerging from the late 1990s to the present day.
It also came with a heavy human cost. Many lives were lost in road accidents involving drivers transporting tomatoes from Burkina Faso. Some attributed these tragedies to superstition, while others pointed to reckless driving. Regardless of the explanation, the losses were real and painful.
Farmers in Kassena-Nankana began to record significant losses. Harvests rotted without buyers. Investments turned into debt. Confidence eroded.
Eventually, many farmers walked away.
As another proverb reminds us, “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.” In this case, it began on its farms.
Burkina Faso’s Strategic Shift vs. Ghana’s Policy Silence
While Ghana’s farmers struggled, Burkina Faso made a strategic decision invest in value addition.
Tomato processing factories were established to absorb excess production and stabilize the market. The goal was clear feed local industry, reduce waste, and create jobs.
Ghana, on the other hand, remained largely inactive no decisive policy, no sustained action, and no measurable results.
Projects such as the Pwalugu Tomato Factory and other agro-processing initiatives remain stalled, abandoned, or underperforming. Critical infrastructure like the Tono and Vea dams, once symbols of productivity, are now underutilized.
This contrast is not merely economic it is political. It reflects a difference in policy intent and execution.
The Politics of Convenience and Missed Responsibility
Over the years, responses to this decline have been shaped more by political rhetoric than strategic action.
Both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have, at different times, reduced the issue to partisan debate, seeking populist advantage rather than treating it as a national priority.
When traders began sourcing from Burkina Faso, the dominant argument focused on market freedom and cross-border trade rights. While economically valid, this perspective ignored the long-term consequences for domestic production.
More recently, even security-related incidents involving tomato traders in Burkina Faso have been politicized, with blame shifting overshadowing problem-solving.
Meanwhile, farmers continue to bear the cost.
As the saying goes, “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” In this case, the grass is the Ghanaian farmer not the NPP or NDC.
From Farms to Pits: The Rise of Galamsey
The collapse of the tomato economy in the Upper East Region has had serious unintended consequences, particularly for the youth.
With farming no longer viable, many young people have migrated into illegal mining commonly known as galamsey.
This shift is not simply about income. It reflects a failure of opportunity.
Where there were once farms, there are now pits. Where there was once food production, there is now environmental degradation and, too often, loss of life.
This is not just an agricultural issue. It is a national development crisis.
The Unasked Questions
Several critical questions remain unanswered:
• Why did Ghana fail to study and adapt Burkina Faso’s more resilient tomato varieties?
• Why was there no sustained investment in post-harvest technology and storage?
• Why were irrigation schemes not modernized to support year-round production?
• Why have processing factories remained dormant while imports continue to rise?
These are not technical questions. They are governance questions.
A Path Forward: Policy, Not Promises
Ghana does not lack the capacity to revive its tomato industry. What it lacks is deliberate and coordinated policy action.
The following steps are urgent:
- Revamp and operationalize tomato processing factories
Facilities like the Pwalugu Tomato Factory must be completed and efficiently managed to guarantee a ready market for farmers. - Invest in research and seed development
Ghana must develop or adopt tomato varieties that are firm, durable, and suitable for long-distance transport. - Strengthen irrigation infrastructure
Modernizing systems around the Tono and Vea dams will ensure consistent production. - Establish guaranteed pricing and market systems
Similar to cocoa, a structured pricing regime can stabilize farmer incomes. - Enhance post-harvest handling and storage
Reducing losses is as important as increasing production.
Conclusion: A Nation at the Crossroads
There is a quiet truth many of us are reluctant to admit:
We once had it right.
We had the land, the knowledge, the labour, and the market. What we lacked was sustained policy vision.
Today, Ghana imports tomatoes while regions that once fed the nation struggle to sustain basic livelihoods. It does not have to remain this way.
As the proverb goes, “A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” If we do not reinvest in our farmers, we should not be surprised when they turn elsewhere for survival.
The time for reflection has passed.
What is needed now is action.
About the Writer
Francis Atayure Abirigo is a development communication expert, former tomato farmer, journalist, climate change advocate, and politician.
Contact: 0244161902 / aabirigo@yahoo.com
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