Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has defended his ministry’s response to the ongoing tomato shortage, following an ultimatum issued by the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana.
In an interview on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, the minister criticized FABAG’s position, suggesting the association may not be fully abreast of developments within the agricultural sector. He insisted that significant groundwork has already been laid to tackle the issue.
Mr. Opoku emphasized that the ministry is actively addressing the crisis and should not be perceived as idle. He noted that the government was elected to confront such challenges and remains committed to delivering solutions.
To fast-track interventions, he revealed that a stakeholder meeting is scheduled to explore ways of managing the situation more effectively and boosting efforts toward achieving self-sufficiency in tomato production.
However, the minister dismissed calls for large-scale tomato production within 60 to 90 days as impractical. He argued that agriculture involves systematic planning and processes that cannot be rushed, expressing concern over what he described as unrealistic expectations.
He further explained that initiatives such as providing boreholes at production centres require time, particularly due to procurement procedures and other regulatory steps that must be followed.
Mr. Opoku urged stakeholders and the public to approach the issue with fairness and accuracy.
“Let’s be reasonable and factual in our arguments. You cannot expect results without going through the necessary processes,” he added.
His remarks follow a strong warning from FABAG, which called for urgent government intervention to resolve the tomato shortage, cautioning that failure to act could render the ministry ineffective.
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Source: Wesleyannews.com
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