Northern Star To Provide Market For Tomato Farmers

Tomatoes

THE MINISTER of Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh Kpodah, has assured tomato farmers in the Upper East Region that government will do everything possible to ensure that the Northern Star tomato factory functions well to serve as a better market option for their produce.

She gave the assurance when she visited the factory as part of a working tour of the Upper East region.

According to her, government is committed to improving the agric sector in the Upper East region in order to improve the living standards of the people of the area since most of the people depend largely on agriculture.

She was hopeful that the unfortunate incidents where some farmers had to commit suicide due to their inability to pay back their loans as a result of poor market for their produce would not repeat itself, explaining that the management of the company should work hard to purchase tomatoes for processing.

“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is a caring one and is committed to the wellbeing of the people of the North and will fulfill its promises. “Government expects the factory to function to its full capacity next year to address the lack of market for tomato farmers.

“The management of the factory should be able to get the needed tomatoes to feed the factory throughout the year to avoid breaks in its operations to ensure the sustainability and profitability of the company,” she added.

Madam Tetteh Kpodah also visited the Paga border where tomatoes from the Republic of Burkina-Faso entered Ghana through tomato queens.

She urged the security forces to ensure that they enforce regulations attached to their work, adding that they should collect revenue for the nation while ensuring that trade agreements are adhered to at all time.

“I urge you all to desist from unnecessary difficulties and

bureaucracies at the border. This could discourage investors and

businessmen from coming into the country to do business with our people; but you must however monitor whatever leaves or enters the country,” she observed.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo, who accompanied the Trade and Industry Minister, did not say much probably because at a point the Trade Minister spoke in a harsh tone and language, which did not go well with some people, especially at the Northern Star Tomato factory.

She described the factory as an evidence of bad investment by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Other comments from her were far below the belt and when she realized that some reporters, especially those from Joy FM and Metro TV had captured her “uncivil” language and statement, she quickly demanded that those comments be taken off.

She further descended on the reporters and forcefully compelled them to delete what they had captured.

When the Joy FM reporter, Osei Joseph said he could not delete the recorded messages, his recorder was seized from him.

From Ebo Bruce-Quansah