Conflicting reasons why traders prefer Burkina Faso tomatoes

domestically. The past three years has seen trade across the border taking on a different dimension. Local farmers find it increasingly difficult to look on passively as fleets of trucks pass them by on their way to Burkina Faso. According to the personnel at CEPS, the peak season is during February and March, when as many as fifty trucks a day can be seen crossing the border to Burkina Faso bringing in tons of fresh tomatoes (fig.

5.1 below).

126

Figure 5.1 Tomatoes imports from Burkina Faso

imports in tons

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

imports in tons

Source: Author’s calculation from field data (2007)

The graph shows the reduction in imports in 2007 due to the conflict detailed in Chapter 6. This affected production in 2008. Although it can be seen that marketing in that year was relatively high, it is not comparable to 2006 which was without problems. The low imports recorded in 2004/5 were due to an outbreak of tomato disease in both countries.

The market level in 2008 is attributed to farmers’ demonstrating in 2007 against the traders’ preference for Burkina Faso tomatoes. The impact of the demonstration reflects solidarity among the farmers which suggests that, if the farmers are well organised, their collective voice can influence the market.

Different reasons have been put forward to explain the traders’ preference. In an interview with the DCE and at the MoFA office, they were of the opinion that the traders are also involved in illegal businesses e.g. carrying fuel (which is cheaper in Ghana), cement and “Apatashie”²⁹

29 Apatashie is a local alcoholic beverage that is distilled from the palm tree in Ghana

to sell in Burkina Faso. According to them, the government is caught in a dilemma because of the regional regulation that permits movements of goods across borders. Such views are strengthened because the high risks and harassment which

127

should, under normal circumstance pose as a disincentive for the traders seem not to be problem for them. The farmers strongly believe that the traders also carry drugs. A member of staff at MoFA described his irritation when, witnessing a tomato truck carrying such illegal goods at a Burkina Faso barrier, he attempted to take a picture but nearly had his camera confiscated by the gendarmes (personnel at the Burkina Faso barrier). He was of the view that they probably take bribes and allows the women to pass with the goods. An insider in the tomato business also confirmed the allegation but was quick to add that some of the traders do not belong to the traders’ association so they are more likely to indulge in such acts.

According to the traders, the reason partly due to consumer preference and partly to the higher quality of the tomatoes which to means they reach the marketplace in good condition. They claim the tomatoes produced in Ghana’s UER are of low quality, containing too much water and being too soft. An Accra trader explained that the shorter journey from the South to the UER takes about two days as compared to Burkina Faso which takes three days. However, by the time they arrive in the South, the tomatoes brought from UER are spoiled. The traders link the spoilage to the poor agronomic practices adopted by UER farmers. They accuse the farmers of using too much water and too many chemicals. However, these allegations remain merely the opinion of the traders and consumers as there is no scientific proof available to support them³⁰

30 see Chapter 2

. This is especially true in regard to the type of irrigation practiced in the area -well and bucket irrigation combined with the frequent scarcity of water which suggests over-watering would be rather unlikely. The hotly debated high water content of the tomatoes led to tests being conducted to measure the “brix” or water content in some of the most common varieties produced in Ghana and BF (70, Roma and Pectomech (1, 3 or 5). The following were the results:

128

Table 5.2 Tomato varieties and brix (°Bx) level

Variety Brix

content

Comments (for processing)

Ghana & BF, 70

5 10kg of fruits to get 1kg of paste

BF & Ghana (Roma)*³¹

5

10kg fruits to get 1kg of paste Techiman

(Local variety in Ghana)

4 14kg fruits to get 1kg of paste

BF Pectomech 6 8kg of fruits to get 1kg of paste

Source: Test conducted during field research (2008)

The test was conducted with the help of an agronomist at the factory (see Chapter 6) The various values were arrived at by cutting or puncturing a tomato fruit then a drop of the juice was squeezed on a refractometer , an instrument for measuring brix content. The refractometer is held perpendicular to a source of light which makes it easy to read the indicated values. He explained that the degrees of brix (°Bx) tell the sucrose (sugar) and water content in tomatoes. For example, if a test of 100 grams of solution showed a brix content of 25 it means that the solution contained 25 grams of sugar and 75 grams of water. He stated that the higher the percentage of brix, the lower is the water content which is good for processing because fewer kilograms of the fresh fruit are needed to make a kilogram of paste. According to him, the best brix content ranges from 5 to 7.

“Techiman” is a local variety popularly grown in Ghana’s South during the rainy season.

The tests confirm very high water content which is also confirmed by consumers. A visit was also made to a local processor³²

31 * This variety was bought from traders returning from BF and many were not sure of the type but most said it was Roma

in KCM. With experience gained during his four years in this business, he grades the tomatoes according to the water content, starting with the best from Burkina Faso, followed by those in UER, with the Southern variety (Techiman) placing last. He believes that the varieties in Ghana and Burkina Faso are the same but those produced in Ghana have less pulp and much more water as compared to

32 Anafo, is a small scale processor in Kumasi central market, hegrinds tomatoes into puree mostly for, food vendors, Chop bar operators (local eating places) and domestic use

129

the ones from Burkina Faso. As for the ‘Techiman’, they have to be boiled to evaporate the water before they can be used for cooking.

On the issue of chemical usage, studies show that, in 1988, Ghana used less than 5kg of plant nutrient per hectare of arable land compared to 6.4kg for Mali, 21.5 in Malawi and a world average of 98.7kg (Hutchful, 1996; Kelly and Crawford, 2007). Further reports show that out of 19 developing countries studied by FAO, Ghana had the lowest level of chemical fertiliser application (Hutchful, 1996: 163). Faced with this information it is clear that the traders’ views are completely unsubstantiated.