The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) says that the ban on tomato exports from Burkina Faso has exposed a dangerous dependence on external food supplies.

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, the Association said the crisis reveals “the dangerous weakness, poor planning, and policy failure within Ghana’s agricultural sector.”

“It is completely unacceptable that a country with vast agricultural land, irrigation dams, agricultural colleges, research institutions, extension officers, and a full Ministry of Food and Agriculture cannot produce enough tomatoes to feed its own population and must depend on another country for such a basic food commodity,” FABAG said.

The Association did not hold back in its criticism of the sector’s leadership, insisting that failure to act swiftly should trigger serious consequences.

“FABAG wishes to state clearly and without apology that if the Ministry of Food and Agriculture cannot mobilise the country to produce tomatoes within two to three months, then the Ministry has failed in its core mandate and has no justification to continue to exist in its current form,” it stated.

Describing the situation as urgent, FABAG stressed that the issue goes beyond politics. “This is not politics or emotions! This is a national food security.”

It argued that tomato production is not complex or long-term, noting that “it is an agricultural fact, not a theory, that tomatoes can be produced within two to three months,” adding that with irrigation and proper seed varieties, harvesting can begin within 60 to 90 days.

“This means that if the Ministry were proactive and results-oriented, Ghana could immediately launch a national emergency tomato programme and begin harvesting within three months,” the statement said.

FABAG dismissed any suggestion that the shortage cannot be quickly resolved, calling such claims “an admission of policy failure, planning failure, and leadership failure.”

The Association listed the country’s existing advantages, including fertile land, irrigation systems, research institutions, and access to inputs, insisting the real problem lies elsewhere.

“If after all these resources, Ghana still cannot produce tomatoes to feed its people, then the problem is not farmers, not land, not climate, but the problem is leadership and policy direction,” it stressed.

FABAG warned that reliance on imports for basic food items poses a broader threat. “Depending on another country for a basic food item like tomatoes is not just an agricultural issue but a national security risk. Today, it is tomatoes; tomorrow, it may be something else. Economic security is national security!”

The Association is now demanding urgent action, including the declaration of a National Tomato Emergency Programme, rapid distribution of improved seeds, activation of irrigation systems, and support for farmers and processing.

It concluded with a stark warning to policymakers. “If within two to three months the Ministry cannot organise tomato production under irrigation across the country, then the government must seriously consider restructuring the Ministry into a Production-Focused Agricultural Authority with clear targets and accountability.”

“The time for excuses is over! The time for production is now!”