As a result of the seasonal abundance of the produce, the price of tomatoes has drastically fallen in the city of Accra's many marketplaces.
At the CMB tomato market, where merchants typically unload their wares, a huge wooden box of tomatoes, which formerly sold for GHS1000, is now selling for GHS800. This represents a significant price reduction.
The price of a large basket, which formerly went for GHS400, has dropped to somewhere between GHS200 and GHS250.
At the same market, one medium-sized plastic basket of tomatoes, which used to retail for GHS150, is now selling for GHS100. This represents a significant price reduction.
Madam Theresa Lartey, a representative for the Greater Accra Tomato Traders Association who has been in the industry for more than 40 years, stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that a decrease in price is an annual phenomenon that occurs during tomato season.
"There are different times of the year when tomatoes are available; for example, around the time of Christmas and Easter, tomatoes are not in season; as a result, their costs are higher. On the other hand, August is tomato season; as a result, the market is flooded with tomatoes at this time of year.
"Right now, sales are low, and people quote whatever price they want to give you. As a result, sometimes you sell it at the same price as you bought it from the farmers, and you don't make any profit because if you don't accept the price they give you, they will rot." [Citation needed] "Right now, sales are low, and people quote whatever price they want to give you."
"Every tomato you see here is from Ghana, it is not from Burkina Faso," she said, saying: "The only time traders go to buy from Burkina Faso is during the lean seasons when tomatoes from Ada and Kumasi are in short supply." "All the tomatoes you see here around this time is from the Ada areas," she said. "Every tomato you see here is from Ghana."
According to Madam Lartey, "Burkina Faso is able to produce tomatoes all year round because they have large dams. We go there specifically around the Easter seasons to boost availability; however, prices are higher around that time because we have to exchange cedis for the CFA."
She made a plea to the government to provide assistance to farmers so that they could continue to produce throughout the year and maintain price stability.
Tomatoes are reported to contain few calories and to be a good source of several vital nutrients, including vitamin C and potassium.
They also contain a high concentration of antioxidants, which have been associated with a variety of health advantages, including a lower incidence of some malignancies and cardiovascular disorders.
According to the opinions of industry professionals, tomatoes are essential ingredients in the food consumed by Ghanaian homes. It is estimated that roughly 440,000 tonnes of tomatoes are consumed yearly, which is comparable to forty percent of the money spent on vegetables by households.
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