Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, former MP for Amenfi Central Constituency in the Western Region, has urged Ghanaians to reduce dependence on imported food items from other African countries.

Speaking on Accra 100.5  FM’s The Citizen Show hosted by Nana Otu Darko, he emphasised that Ghana can thrive without Tomatoes from Burkina Faso and should focus on boosting local production.

“It is time that we, as conscious citizens, learn wisdom from others,”  Kwakye-Ackah said.

“We should observe what is happening and use it to make positive changes in our systems.

President Mahama has been working on himself and aims to reset the country, but leadership sometimes requires pragmatism. For instance, we don’t need to rely on tomatoes from Burkina Faso; we can produce them locally.”

He explained that local production can meet demand and reduce over-reliance on imports.

“Tomatoes are tomatoes, so why can’t we grow them here? If we continue depending on free-market imports, it could harm the country’s economy.

If imports stop, traders and farmers will find ways to cultivate tomatoes to satisfy local tastes.

The same applies to other items, like plantains from the Ivory Coast.

We can adapt them to our local preferences.”

 Kwakye-Ackah also warned about the long-term effects of ignoring local agriculture.

“If we don’t take care of this and leave it as it is, it will not produce good results.

We must be proactive in strengthening our food systems and supporting local farmers to ensure sustainability,” he added.