Resetting Agenda, is a Mindset Revolution, So, Self-sufficiency in Tomatoes Production within One Year is Possible

Mindset Revolution
The Resetting Agenda is a mindset revolution that is a foundation tool, among others, aimed at a shift in attitude or inducing altitudinal shift through the reset of our minds regarding faith in Ghana, Institutions, and Leadership, so, Self-sufficiency in Tomatoes Production within One Year is Possible.

It is possible to attain Self-sufficiency in Tomatoes Production within One Year, because the Resetting Agenda, a Mindset Revolution from God through His Excellency President Mahama, also act as a culture change tool to kill our sluggishness, the excessive greed, corruption, and the PHD (Pull Him Down) and lamentation syndromes in the Ghanaian ‘DNA’ to ensure collective progress for a Better Ghana Agenda towards a Ghana Beyond Aid. So, the Resetting Agenda is a call for action to ensure inclusivity, action for renewal of hope, a roadmap to reduce excessive greed, to eliminate corruption and to build integrity, and innovation.

Speaking of Mindset Revolution, thanks to God and Government of Burkina Faso for the banning on the exportation of fresh tomatoes out of Burkina Faso. The ban should be seen as the good omen for the Resetting Agenda, which is not the usual political slogan, but a tool for, a shift in attitude, a shift in mindset, instilling inclusivity and integrity for moral foundation to ensure true progress. So, the Resetting Agenda is a Revolutionary tool for Attitudinal Change for total national overhauling/renewal thus changing the narrative to ensure more seriousness in this Country.

The economies of Ghana is developing one, so we need to see massive growth in the Agric Sector or Agribusiness which is the critical engine for massive economic development, creation of massive jobs including within its value chain, for food security and inclusive growth. Ghana has the men and the resources to produce most of the food items including tomatoes.

All that is required is good leadership to see Ghana transition from subsistence farming to commercialized, technology driven Agriculture. This includes investing in research, irrigation, greenhouse technology, and improving access to markets.

Crisis sometimes motivates a Revolution, hence causes attitudinal change. COVID-19 Pandemic brought a great change in the World, including IT Revolution especially Zoom Conferences or Meetings. So, instead of congregating at one place of brick and mortar facility with the associated costly and risky travels, COVID 19 brought about a new normal. Thus the attitudinal change induced by COVID-19 elicits or will elicit great monetary savings besides reduction of security and safety risks.

So, please do not get it wrong, we should see the ban on the exportation of fresh tomatoes from Burkina Faso as a blessing for us to be very serious like Gen Acheampong did with his Operation Feed Yourself and Feed Your Industry and act accordingly.

Ghana’s problem is very bad leadership since 1981. Take note of the saying that too much of everything is bad. Ghana has too many things than Burkina Faso including too known or too may bad people in the regimes of the governing Political Party working in silos or undoing each other, too many divorces cases is part of Ghana’s profile or CV.

The above state of affairs, are not so in Burkina Faso. So, the God fearing and forward looking leaders of Burkina Faso since the days of Capt Sankara believed in continuity of programs/actions started by a predecessor. Of course, they may apply modernization if times dictates. So say a policy like 1D1F or a project like the road from Accra to Kumasi once initiated in Burkina Faso is continued by subsequent leaders, without a change, since it resonates with the people and raises their aspirations due to the several benefits.

Come to Nkrumah’s Ghana in the Fourth Republic, our Leaders are acting like Kindergarten boys and girls, with the penchant to change everything even if very good for Ghana. Example some leaders carry their own special chairs to a function, a chair used by a, previous Police Officer will not be used by a new Officer. Hmm depending on the situation, there is also in our DNA, the disease of change of a spouse otherwise converting from Christian status to a Muslim status to take more wives. So too many divorces is part of the Profile of Ghana.

Name changing of institutions have not be left out, so they had a fair share of our childish acts. So, Nkrumah’s’ Polytechnics are now called Technical universities, the Kumasi and Accra Airports were not left out, so they had a fair share of our national disease. Depending which Political Party is in Power, the Presidential Villa is either Jubilee House or Flagstaff house, What a tragedy?

So, as part of Ghana First, this writer in 2025, motivated the very hardworking, respected and indefatigable Chief of Staff/ his Excellency JD Mahama to maintain the name of the Presidential Villa as Jubilee House. Google and read ‘Jubilee House must be the name of Ghana’s Presidential Office and Villa’ published on 12 January 2025. This writer was motivated to do so, due to the plan to change the name to Flagstaff House, when it was proclaimed in December 2024, that His Excellency JD Mahama will be the President of Ghana for the next four years effective 2025.

So it is not a surprise that Ghana cannot produce enough tomatoes for even domestic consumption, so export is zero despite the abundant arable land, water bodies, good climate etc. This is so as stated Ghana has too many things or resources than Burkina Faso thus making us to be lazy and unlike the hardworking people of Burkina Faso,

Ghana has too many too ‘known’ people with self-ego/ big ego thus working in silos. Ghana has too many PHD (Pull Him Down) people working to undo each other or to destroy his fellow Ghanaian. . Ghana has too many Universities and still serious national problems and out of childish acts, turned Nkrumah’s polytechnics into universities.

There are too many Research Institutions and no good show otherwise good results are not used, too many Professors, too many proper or academic PHD Holders, also too many fake ones, causing serious headache to Professor Junapor and his GETEC. This craziness for “doctorate” created a lucrative venture which motivated too many fake institutions and too many persons especially one Dr UN for awarding fake doctorate. Cry the Beloved Country.

Hmm, Ghana has added to its profile, too many law schools to produce too many lawyers. So there are too many fake lawyers in Ghana. Ghana has too many banks including Agric Bank, yet the Agric Sector is not supported with cheap credit facilities. Ghana has too many CSOs, hmm, too many Churches with too many Pastors/Prophets always keeping members in Churches for too many hours and have even added all night services, thus showing too many problems. Too many pollsters with too many polls.

Ghana has too many markets and wants to add too many markets in the name of 24 hour economy Market, so need to make too many people in trading. Hmm Ghana has added to its profile a GoldBod, which is raising enough foreign exchange through gold sales but motivating the massive (too much) destruction of the environment through collaborating with too many Small Scale Miners in the mining sector,

This is so, notwithstanding the good call by Dr Tony Aubynn for a review of the Laws on Small Scale Mining (Google and Read ‘Review Laws in Small Scale Mining by Dr Tony Aubynn’ due the destruction of the environment or madness in the Mining Sector by Ghanaians and their too many Chinese accomplices with the resultant fear of existential threat, with the associated too many lamentations without good action since too many or donkey years ago.

The call by Dr Tony Aubynn’ includes addition of Medium Scale Mining Sector for tycoons and their Chinese Associates, since mining is capital intensive. Also the relegation or restriction of Small Scale Mining to method of mining with no use of sophisticated technology, no use of substantial money and for interested Communities as stipulated in the Small Scale Mining law 1989 ( PNDC Law 218).

Ghana is also adding to her profile a crazy idea of creating more than 10 months import cover instead of say 7 to 12 months import cover and rather ensure massive Transformation and Modernization of the Agric Sector and for value addition industries to increase exports and domestic needs. This crazy idea tells the Ghanaian mentality of more import of tomatoes, more import of rice, more import of cow legs, more import of cow heads, more import of intestines, and more import of fish, more import of tooth picks etc.

These situations speak volume of our Leaders not interested in seeing to Attitudinal Change to bring about a change in the economy fundamentals of Ghana through the transformation, modernization and diversification of the Agric Sector, as sounded by the Asantehene, the man of great wisdom. Google and read ‘Asantehene called for strategic diversification of the Economy. Hmm where are the economists of Ghana’, what a tragedy in Nkrumah’s Ghana?

Tomatoes Production
Hmm, the ban by the Burkina Faso has induced an ‘abegging’ Minister for Agribusiness thus exposed the Hypocrisy, Dishonesty and Incompetency of the Ghanaian that is all of us, especially our leaders of all Regimes. It should be noted that Ghana has not much to show in the Agric sector, despite the fact that since the 1983 bush fire/drought that caused famine, which made the then Government of the Day, the PNDC, to cause for massive food production and this led to the setting up of the Best Farmers Day, for awarding Best Farmers, every year in attempt to sustain massive food production.

Unfortunately, as stated Ghana has not very much to show in the Agric sector, since the 1983 famine crisis, which should have opened our eyes to ensure we take very good care of the environment and see the Agric Sector as a critical engine for economic development, food security and inclusive growth, very serious,. You may be right to say the Best Farmer Day has become a Concert Party activity Day.

So after 42 years with the introduction of the Best Farmers Day, Ghana cannot produce enough food items especially tomatoes, so our Hon Minister of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness is on her knees begging the forward looking leaders of Burkina Faso to allow us to go to Burkina Faso for tomatoes.

This is very ridiculous, so what a shame?, instead of Ghana through the said Hon Minister implementing Import Substitution action to restrict importation of tomatoes, she is on her knees begging for importation of tomatoes. Interestingly, about six months ago, Tomatoes farmers in Ghana were crying for buyers for their tomatoes and she was not seen sympathizing with them.

Our very ‘abegging’ Hon Minister for more tomatoes import, should please note that Tomatoes depending on the variety and cultural practices take 60 to 90 days to grow from transplanting to harvest or 90 to 140 days with the seed. There are 365 days in a year, so growing tomatoes thrice in a year is possible.

A yield of tomatoes may be 20 to 40 tons per hectare in low open fields’ production, this means depending on the yield, and 45,000hetraes to 22,500 hectares of land is required to get 900,000 tons of tomatoes reckoned as annual national consumption. Ghana has more than 220,000 land under irrigation (both public and private facilities) and tomatoes can be cultivated at least thrice in year. So with very good management, Ghana can make it within one year.

It must be noted that the best method to achieve the desire results in a very short time and throughout the year is by Greenhouse production techniques, which enables suitable climatic conditions throughout the year. One can get over 200 to 600 tonnes of tomatoes per hectare with the high-tech hydroponic Greenhouses. So Ghana can produce more than enough tomatoes for domestic consumption and export in 12 months, if our Leaders are serious.

In 2014, Agri Impact Consult introduced the Greenhouse Technology for growing tomatoes and other crops in Vakpo in the Volta Region, this was in the first regime of President Mahama. But it was in the regime of President Nana Addo that saw the massive introduction of Greenhouse Technology in 2020. Google and read ‘A look at West Africa’s biggest Greenhouse Village in Ghana’ but his regime woefully failed to achieve the desire results.

The officials in the Regime of President Mahama should not see these as Mr Nana Addo’s projects but Mahama’s Project. The 1D1F policy especially for agro drive industry or cottage industries should be fine-tuned continued by the Officials of President Mahama, without change of name.

Thanks to God for President JD Mahama, with the Resetting Agenda and for Dr Johnson Pandit Asiamah as the Governor of Bank of Ghana who has so far demo that he is a very hardworking and forward looking so he is very serious to support the Agric Sector especially the Tomato industry due to the ban by Burkina Faso.

So with the recent heartwarming proclamation by the Governor of Bank of Ghana on Channel One TV, Ghana with the capacity (arable land, facilities irrigation, with high-tech hydroponic Greenhouses., funding, marketing/good storage system, research institutions, agronomists, extension Officers, organic fertilizers) should be able to produce the correct or her exact needs of tomatoes from six months to one year for both domestic consumption and export,

So the claims by the Deputy Minister of Agric namely Hon Mr Doemulo that it may take four years to achieve the needed quantity should be disregarded. I can say that with my experiences at ICOUR Tono, in my hometown in Navrongo and Vea Irrigation Dam, Ashaiman, Dawenhya, Kpong etc Irrigation infrastructures which are the legacies or very good works of General Acheampong, not talking of private irrigation systems, Ghana can make it within 12 months with very good leadership.

So, my brother Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor with real or proper PHD, hmm not the type as detested by Professor Junapor of GETEC, should take note that Ghana can produce more than enough tomatoes in one year. So he should act and stop talking on the issue of the failed Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam as a reason for Ghana’s poor show.

Hmm, the name Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam is even wrong for the intended project, since the people of Pwalugu alleged that the failed construction work, was planned near Krugu in the North East Region by the previous regime. Hence, not near Pwalugu in the Upper East Region to give them more benefit aside safety from the annual spillage from the Bagre Dam.

So, a change of location of the planned Multipurpose Dam, requires a genuine change of name of the project, studies etc. So to support the people of Pwalugu for growing tomatoes, other food items, for fishing, for rearing of animals etc , the good people of Pwalugu need just a dam, which may not cost more than between 2.7 to 4 million Ghana Cedis. This should be a godly investment by any of the Philanthropists, if Government is not able to do so.

So let us change our mind and act now, it was sad that the apostles of One Village, One Dam, hence the regime of President Nana Addo failed to give them a dam. So, the Minister of Agric, my brother Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor and Hon Minister for Agribusiness should take note and jointly solicit for funds or support for construction of an irrigation dam for the good people of Pwalugu, for tomatoes production and ensure good market to motivate them to keep on producing food items especially tomatoes and stop the too many lamentations.

Ghana’s problem, is the issue of no reasonable or profitable guaranteed floor rate or farm gate price or good marketing for tomatoes, lack of very good storage system for fresh tomatoes and or issue of factories for value addition. At this juncture, let me say thanks to owner of Procus Ghana, the operator of factories for the KIVO products, which he set up in 2020 and others factories in the processing of tomatoes and other food items.

So, the key Apostles of the 24hour Economy and Governor of Bank of Ghana should be advised to take note that the high-tech hydroponic Greenhouses .affords a very lucrative chances for 24hour Economy for more jobs, need for agro-driven industries, so the need to also give support to Procus Ghana, manufacturer of Kivo products and others value addition food factories for helping to achieve food sufficiency in Ghana.

So, the action of the Burkina Faso’s Government is God Sent for Dear President Mahama to once again call for an emergency cabinet meeting because some of his appointees are not helping him, our President due to acting in silos. The Chief of Staff, should reflect matters on Agric especially tomatoes production and value addition in the upcoming Kwahu Business Forum in April 2026.

Wear Ghana, Eat Ghana etc
We need to commend and thank the Gov’t of Burkina Faso for the ban, just like the need for commending the Zambian who talked about the President’s smock when he was in Zambia and as such, it rekindled the mantra on wear Ghana or traditional attire but unfortunately, it was opposite during the Celebration of the 69^th Independence Day at Jubilee House, which saw only the President, our First Lady, the Hon Chief of State in the Office of the President, the Chief Justice and few persons who appeared in traditional attire. March is heritage Month of Ghana yet participants of Ghana, especially our Foreign Minister and his team at the UN on 24 March 2026 were not in local attire to showcase Ghana.

So, let us also thank the good people of Burkina Faso, since their action, will wake up Ghanaians from sleeping in the Nation’s Heritage Month of March, and wise up to ensure good leadership to support our Dear President Mahama, support Channel One TV, CtiiFM etc in the Ghana First Agenda.

Let us also support organizers of food festivals like the Ackuleh and the Hon MP for Gomoa, Mr Aplus for their effort to ensure we patronize Ghanaian goods (food, attire, culture etc) thus creating markets and jobs, though these markets may be seen to be short-lived, but the good thing is that the events promote some profitable networking which may be exploited to advance in life.

So it is important, we all come on deck of the Ship under the Captainship of Dear President Mahama for the Resetting Ghana Agenda, thus support the Apostles of 24hour Economy, a demand driven system, hence patronize Ghana through Eat Ghana, Feed Ghana, Drink Ghana, and Export Ghana and wear Ghana and showcase Ghana during festivals especially on Independence Day etc to boost production.

Prime Minister Nkrumah in 1957 and the other members of the Big Six put on the local attire of a Smock and made the Independence Declaration, so it is Unfortunate that 69 years after that very memorable day in the History of Africa, the Smock is not seen as a great African attire.

This may be due to poor leadership, which led to poor showcasing of the items of Ghana especially during Independence Day celebrations as well as through the heritage month of March as being done by Channel One TV, CtiiFM etc. Due to our attitude and mindset, one would not be surprised that imported Rice and not Ghana’s rice, formed part of the meal organized for guests by the State Protocol in every year of the celebration.

Let us thank the Governor of Bank of Ghana and four others of the governing Board of Bank of Ghana for wearing traditional attire during the last Meeting of the Board Bank of Ghana in the heritage month, as being promoted by Channel One TV/ CITIFM.

So, the “abegging” Minister for Trade, Industry and Agribusiness must not shame Ghanaians with her begging mode. All that is needed is work with the Governor of Bank of Ghana, the Hon Minister of Agric, with my brother Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, PHD, for them to come out with a strategy for massive production of tomatoes in a sustainable/permanent manner.

Self Sufficiency in tomatoes production can be achieved with attitudinal change for can do spirit, and with the provision of good seeds like Kwabena Kwabena variety of tomatoes, good culture practices with use of organic fertilizer, scaling up the Greenhouse Tech, ensuring efficient irrigation or water management as well good market through a good guaranteed Floor price to motivate Ghanaians to go into Massive tomatoes productions, embrace the 1DIF concept with a better direction and virtually ban importation of tomatoes into Ghana.

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