GTLC: Tomato concentrate ban is the right step

Ada, Sept. 24, GNA - The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC), a nationwide advocacy organisation striving for agriculture and trade justice, has welcomed government's plan to impose a ban on the importation of processed tomato concentrate from November 1, this year.

Civil society groups and farmers have continuously called for protection and support through tariffs but the government had gone a step further by instituting a ban.

Speaking at a durbar for tomato farmers at Ada, Ibrahim Akalbila, Coordinator of GTLC, said the move should provide government the opportunity to help organised tomato farmers across the country to make up for the possible gaps that might arise. "We see an opportunity that government must not let the nation miss," he said.

Government is bound under World Trade Organisation obligations to maintain the ban for a period of 200 days. However, Mr. Akalbila said it was important that government applied the ban until local capacity was improved.

Besides, in the process of the ban being lifted an initial tariff of 30 per cent over three-year period should be imposed to support the supply of small machines to tomato farming communities to add value to fresh tomato.

"This, we believe, would influence productivity of farmers to meet local demand."

Mr. Akalbila said most of the problems facing farmers could be solved by deliberate and intentional government policies and the right political will to implement the measures.

He said the current level of destruction of livelihoods through unfair trade practices was enoughreason why governments and for that matter WestAfrican Countries should not sign the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union.

Mr. Theophilus Agbakla, a member of Peasant Farmers Association, said the proposed ban on the importation of canned tomato was a welcome news and urged the government to make it permanent.

According to him, the ban was a step in the right direction because most of the imported tomato concentrate had been proven scientifically to contain 28 per cent tomato paste or puree, while the remaining 72 per cent were additives.

He said the over 5000 tomato farmers in the Dangme East District produced more than 5,200 metric tons of tomato every season of which more than half go waste because of lack of marketing and processing opportunities.

He cited various studies and trials of various species of tomato by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which conclusions pointed to the suitability of the soil in the area for producing tomato for canning. Mr. Agbakla, therefore, appealed to government to consider revamping and equipping an abandoned Tomato factory in the area to enable farmers to process their produce and to create employment. 24 Sept. 07