The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has disclosed that Ghana spends over $400 million every year importing tomatoes from neighbouring Burkina Faso.
He made the revelation in Adom TV’s Asukɔdɔ documentary titled Hunger After Plenty, produced by Jagri Boaz Binyinjom.
The documentary highlights the paradox of a country richly endowed with fertile lands and natural resources, yet still struggling with seasonal food shortages and hunger.
“Despite the blessings God has given us—our fertile lands, water bodies, and hardworking farmers—we still face food shortages at certain times of the year. It is heartbreaking,” Mr. Opoku said.
Hunger After Plenty sheds light on the daily struggles of Ghanaian farmers, the frustration of food vendors, and the cries for help from retail markets overwhelmed by post-harvest losses.
Experts featured in the documentary offered analyses and proposed solutions to break the recurring cycle of food abundance followed by scarcity.
The film underscores how, during harvest seasons, food becomes so plentiful that tomatoes, yams, and other produce often go to waste—left to rot on farms, burned, or even trampled underfoot in markets. But between March and July, the situation drastically shifts, leading to soaring prices and limited supply.
According to a United Nations report, over 40 percent of Ghana’s population of 34 million go to bed hungry.
The documentary poses a critical question: How can a country with so much produce suffer so much hunger?
Source: Jagri Boaz Binyinjom
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