The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has assured Ghanaians that there will be no shortage of tomatoes despite Burkina Faso’s recent export ban.

Speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, March 25, Mr Opoku said the government has put in place adequate measures to meet and even exceed national demand.

“This issue of shortage is not going to happen anywhere; we are putting in adequate measures to ensure we produce above national demand. I want to assure the general public that the situation is not alarming,” he stated.

He explained that under the Feed Ghana initiative launched in 2025, the Ministry collaborated with 81 communities to cultivate about 1,000 acres of tomatoes, with plans to significantly scale up production this year.

“From those projects we started in 2025, we identified 81 communities and worked with them. We cultivated 1,000 acres of land. This year, we want to scale it up to 40,000 acres,” he said.

Mr Opoku also revealed that processing centres have been established near the University of Ghana bypass, serving as a farmers’ market where consumers can access fresh tomatoes.

In addition, he encouraged households to adopt backyard gardening as a way of strengthening food security.

“We advocate that every Ghanaian should have a backyard garden. This is the most appropriate time for us to intensify the campaign. Tomatoes can be planted in our homes. Wherever you are, have a small garden to supplement household feeding,” he urged.