Upper East Tomato Farmers in Crisis

"The farmers in the Upper East Region are in serious crisis because they were led into an unprecedented increase in production of tomato this season," the Member of Parliament said in a statement in Parliament. Mr Abuga Pele, NDC MP for Chiana-Paga has called on government to step in and save tomato farmers in the Upper East Region who are faced with tomato glut. Mr Pele said the crisis has already led to two farmers in the region committing suicide. He said the crisis could be attributed to assurance from the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, which encouraged farmers to produce massively since the factory for canning would buy all their produce. "This assurance was reinforced by promises from authorities, including district chief executives and agricultural experts in the region." The MP said many farmers contracted loans and others sold properties to go into tomatoes farming only to be told that the factory, "would not buy because it was not ready. It has problem of electricity and a myriad of unanticipated problems." Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said it was important to find if the refusal of the factory to purchase the tomatoes had to do with quality or pricing. The Minister said he was going to liaise with the Minister of Trade and Industry to find a lasting solution to the crisis.