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Business News of Saturday, 1 November 2014
Source: Citifmonline.com
There could be a possible shortage of tomatoes and other vegetables in the coming months if current political turbulence in Burkina Faso continues.
This is the fear expressed by Tomato sellers in Ghana. Rioting in Burkina Faso intensified as anti-government protestors burnt the country’s parliament house, to protest against President Blaise Compaore’s bid to extend his 27-year rule.
Citi Business News gathers Ghana depends largely on imported tomatoes from Burkina Faso between December and May. Demand for the vegetable significantly increases during the Christmas season because Ghana does not cultivate at that time of the year.
General Secretary of the Ghana National Tomato Traders and Transporters Association, Lydia Aflianu tells Citi Business News there could be shortages as well as price hikes if the unrest in neighbouring Burkina Faso continues.
“As at now we are not carting tomatoes. There is enough in the system over here. When tomatoes gets finished here then we go to Burkina Faso. If this continues until December, that will affect our trade”, she said.
According to her “when it gets to peak season, we cart about 20-50 trucks daily which has a capacity to carry about 120-140 crates in each truck”.
Meanwhile there are fears expressed by other stakeholders that the price of meat will also shoot up considering some of the livestock are imported from Burkina Faso.
Supply of other vegetables like onions, carrot, cabbage, among others could also be affected.
