Chinto, Yaayaso, Abodobi, and their surrounding villages are major tomato farming communities in Fanteakwa South District in Eastern Region.
June and July are major harvesting months for tomato farmers.
Tons of tomatoes have been harvested but the deplorable road linking the communities is discouraging buyers from going to buy from the farmers leading to rots.
The road from the Communities to two towns – Asesewa and Begoro are in a terrible state.
The road is not motorable whenever it rains.
Farmers had to hire a tricycle to transport the harvested tomatoes to Obuoho which is about 14 kilometers away to meet the buyers who buy a crate of tomatoes for GHc80.
The farmers are worried about the poor state of their roads and lack of electricity in the community which is also discouraging the youth in agriculture.
Few drivers who brace all odds t go to the communities charge Ghc50 per crate of tomatoes to transport to Begoro while drivers who load from Begoro to Accra charge Ghc60.
This tomato trader said deplorable road in the communities deters many traders from buying from the farmers.
During a recent tour in parts of the Eastern Region, the Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto debunked claims of food shortage in the country.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, however, said the high food inflation is not a result of food shortage but rather raising fuel prices and transportation costs, high cost of agrochemicals, and other external factors including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has affected the importation of some staples.
This is evident in Abodobi, chinto, and Yaayaso where farmers are struggling to transport their farm produce to market due to poor roads in sync with these challenges.
However, the government must be blamed for not prioritizing rural road infrastructure.
Assembly Member for the Abodobi Electoral Area, Samuel Kpartey, has written several letters to the Fanteakwa South District Assembly on the poor state of roads and lack of electricity in the farming communities but nothing has been done.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
