Akyem North MP Seeks Urgent Government Intervention as Farmers Cry Out

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MP Ohene Kwame Frimpong appealed to President Mahama to address a challenge facing tomato farmers by setting up a processing factory
He lamented farmers’ struggles selling tomatoes at GH₵500 per bag, warning of post-harvest losses without intervention
Frimpong’s plea for government support garnered reactions on social media, with many questioning his media approach for aid

Ohene Kwame Frimpong, the Member of Parliament for Akyem North, has made a passionate public appeal to President John Mahama to address the crisis faced by tomato farmers.

john mahama, ohene kwame frimpong, tomato factory, akyem north mp, constituency, tomato farmers — Ohene Kwame Frimpong pleads with President John Mahama to assist his constituency in building a tomato factory. Photo credit: Ohene Kwame. Image credit: Instagram
Source: Instagram

In a video shared online, the MP stood together with a group of tomato farmers, displaying boxes of the unsold farm produce.

Frimpong highlighted that the tomato farmers are struggling to find buyers for their produce; as such, a lack of customers would likely lead to significant post-harvest losses.

Kwame Frimpong appeals for tomato factory

To minimise these future losses, the MP has begged Mahama, along with other stakeholders, to build a tomato factory in Asante Akyem North. According to Frimpong, a bag of tomatoes is sold cheaply for GH₵500, because there is not enough market demand to absorb the supply.

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He also disclosed that while Ofosu Kwakye, the Agric Minister, had supported them with fertiliser, the core problem of market access remains unsolved. He argued that the factory would do more good for his community, not just for reducing tomato losses.

According to him, the factory would create much-needed jobs for the youth in communities like Dome, Agogo, and Mampong.

In his words:

“They should know that we are working to get jobs for the youth. So, in this area where buyers cannot afford to buy all the produce, this is where a factory should be established to provide jobs for the youth of Dome, Mampong, Agogo, and Asante Akyem North in general.”

He added:

“This will allow us to add value to the tomatoes, producing tomato puree that we can export or sell within Ghana, giving the farmers a reliable market. That is why I am making this appeal.”

Reactions to Frimpong’s plea for tomato factory

YEN.com.gh collected reactions from Ghanaians who watched the video on X. Some of the comments are below.

@Gen_Buhari_ suggested:

“You don’t plead for a factory from a farm; you lobby by visiting the President or through some powerful individuals in Government, this is just for optics and won’t yield any results.”

@UncensoredFact1 said:

“Why not fish out a hot spot for selling this produce, rent a truck, and transport all this produce there to sell? How about that?”

@Quaquperry wrote:

“How many tomato factories are there that this thing can’t be done at all? Ghana leaders are a joke.”

@lussrich commented:

“Those tomato paste companies, nu, don’t they use these natural tomatoes, anaa?”

Lady calls out Tasty Tom over spoilage

Earlier, YEN.com.gh had reported that a Ghanaian woman sparked reactions after showing Tasty Tom tomato paste tins allegedly going bad with mould and colour changes.