By Yvette Adu Effisah
Some traders at Tema Community One Market are appealing to the government to prioritise the construction of dams to support dry-season farming.
According to the traders, recurring tomato shortages and price hikes could be addressed if farmers are supported with reliable irrigation systems. They argue that dam construction would ensure year-round cultivation, stabilise supply and reduce over-reliance on imports from neighbouring countries.
Speaking in an interview with gbcghanaonline.com in Tema, a tomato trader, Gifty Ayiku, popularly known as “Showers of Blessings”, said it was disheartening that some traders reportedly lost their lives while travelling to Burkina Faso at the height of the ongoing tomato trade tensions.
She said the traders had no security protection during the journey and stressed that strengthening local tomato production remains the most effective way to prevent such risky trips.
The leader of tomato sellers at Tema Community One Market, Evelyn Nortey, also said strengthening local production would not only enhance food security but also protect livelihoods within the tomato value chain.
She therefore called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to intensify efforts to expand irrigation infrastructure across major farming communities.
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