Ghana spends $168m on tomato imports; ginger dependence exceeds 99% — CSIR

Ghana is spending at least US$168 million every year on fresh and processed tomato imports, while a disease outbreak has pushed the country’s dependence on imported ginger to more than 99 percent, highlighting significant weaknesses in domestic horticultural production.

The figures were presented by researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) during the second session of the 2026 Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) Visibility Webinar Series.

The webinar, held under the theme “CSIR’s Interventions on Tomato and Ginger,” examined the challenges facing the two important agricultural value chains and outlined research-backed interventions to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imports.

Dr Michael Kwabena Osei, Principal Research Scientist and vegetable breeder at the CSIR Crop Research Institute, said Ghana’s annual demand for fresh and processed tomatoes exceeds 1.4 million metric tonnes.

However, local production currently meets only about 15 to 18 percent of national demand, leaving a substantial supply gap that is filled through imports.

Fresh tomato imports, mainly from Burkina Faso, are estimated at between 100,000 and 120,000 metric tonnes annually, costing Ghana approximately US$18 million.

Processed tomato imports, largely sourced from China and Europe, are equivalent to an estimated 400,000 to 450,000 metric tonnes of raw tomatoes and cost the country about US$150 million annually.

Combined, Ghana spends approximately US$168 million every year importing fresh and processed tomatoes.

More than 60 percent of fresh tomato imports enter Ghana between November and April, when domestic production declines sharply because of the dry season.

Dr Osei said the situation was particularly concerning because Ghana has more than 400,000 hectares of arable land considered suitable for tomato production.

Despite the availability of suitable agricultural land, average tomato yields in Ghana remain between seven and 10 tonnes per hectare.

This compares with potential yields of between 20 and 80 tonnes per hectare when improved varieties, irrigation and appropriate agronomic practices are adopted.

Researchers identified several factors contributing to the low productivity, including inadequate access to quality seed, limited irrigation, declining soil fertility, pest and disease pressures and weak agricultural extension services.

The dependence on imported planting material is another challenge.

According to Dr Osei, more than 85 percent of tomato seed planted in Ghana is commercial hybrid seed, which raises production costs and exposes farmers to external supply pressures.

“A country that imports its seed will always import its food,” he said.

CSIR researchers also identified underutilised irrigation infrastructure as a major obstacle to year-round tomato production.

Of the approximately 15,000 hectares covered by 22 public irrigation schemes, only about 9,000 hectares are currently being utilised.

The researchers believe better utilisation and expansion of irrigation infrastructure could help Ghana increase tomato production during the dry season and reduce the need for imports.

The situation in the ginger sector is even more severe.

Dr Osei said Ghana’s annual ginger demand increased from approximately 18,000 tonnes in 2020 to between 30,000 and 32,000 tonnes in 2025.

However, the sector suffered a major setback following a bacterial wilt outbreak in 2022, which severely affected domestic production.

As a result, Ghana now depends on imports for more than 99 percent of its ginger requirements.

The country spends approximately US$500,000 annually importing ginger, mainly from China, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The collapse in domestic ginger production has also triggered a dramatic increase in prices.

A sack of ginger that sold for approximately GH¢250 in 2022 increased to about GH¢4,000 in 2025.

By the time of the CSIR webinar, the price had reportedly reached approximately GH¢6,000 or more, reflecting the severe supply constraints in the domestic market.

Researchers said the bacterial wilt affecting ginger is soil-borne and can spread through infected planting materials, poor drainage, heavy rainfall, continuous monocropping and contaminated farm equipment.

To revive Ghana’s ginger industry, researchers are proposing the development and distribution of disease-resistant varieties alongside the production of disease-free planting materials through tissue culture.

They are also calling for stronger disease surveillance systems and improved extension services to help farmers detect and manage infections before they spread across production areas.

The researchers believe rebuilding the domestic ginger industry will require a coordinated approach involving research institutions, farmers, government agencies, financiers and other actors along the value chain.

The tomato and ginger crises, according to the CSIR researchers, demonstrate the broader challenges confronting Ghana’s agricultural economy.

For tomatoes alone, about US$168 million in foreign exchange leaves the country every year to finance imports, despite the availability of land and significant potential to increase domestic production.

In the case of ginger, the bacterial wilt outbreak has demonstrated how quickly an agricultural value chain can become heavily dependent on imports when domestic production and disease-control systems are unable to respond effectively.

CSIR researchers are therefore calling for increased investment in certified seed production, irrigation, soil improvement, mechanisation and protected cultivation.

Dr Osei has also proposed the establishment of a Tomato Board by 2028 to help coordinate the development of the sector.

He further proposed the establishment of a dedicated Horticultural Research Institute by 2030 to strengthen research, seed development, processing, financing and market integration.

The proposed institutions, according to the researchers, could provide stronger coordination across Ghana’s horticultural value chains and help ensure that research outcomes translate into increased commercial production.

Ultimately, the objective is to convert Ghana’s considerable agricultural potential into commercially viable production, reduce the country’s import bill, strengthen local value chains and retain more foreign exchange within the economy.