John Dumelo, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, has called for decisive measures to stop the smuggling of food products from neighbouring Togo into Ghana.

Speaking on JoyNews on Monday, March 9, during a discussion on Ghana at 69 and reclaiming the country’s food sovereignty, Mr Dumelo emphasised that tackling smuggling would strengthen local food production and promote the consumption of domestically made products instead of relying on imported goods.

The Deputy Minister alleged that a large portion of food items, particularly pasta, entering Ghana unofficially comes from Togo. He said such activities undermine domestic production and perpetuate Ghana’s dependence on imports.

“A few days ago, I was in Tema with the President during the commissioning of a pasta factory. Statistics suggested Ghana lags behind Togo in pasta consumption. But the reality is that much of Togo’s pasta is smuggled through the borders into Ghana, and we end up consuming these cheaper imports,” he explained.

Mr Dumelo stressed that curbing these smuggling activities is critical to supporting local farmers and ensuring that Ghanaian households have better access to locally produced food.

He further argued that strengthening Ghana’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors requires strict enforcement along the borders.

“If we truly want to strengthen our manufacturing base and consume what we grow, one of the key steps is to close our borders and stop these smuggling bandits,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister’s remarks underscore the government’s focus on promoting local production and reducing reliance on imported and smuggled food products.