Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has called for urgent measures to stop the smuggling of food products from neighbouring Togo into Ghana. He said curbing these activities will boost local food production and encourage Ghanaians to consume locally made products.
Speaking on JoyNews on Monday, March 9, during a discussion on Ghana at 69 and reclaiming food sovereignty, Mr Dumelo emphasised the need to reduce reliance on imports.
He claimed that a large share of food entering Ghana unofficially, particularly pasta, comes from Togo, undermining domestic production.
“A few days ago, I was in Tema with the President for the commissioning of a pasta factory. The statistics suggest Ghana lags behind Togo in pasta consumption, but much of that Togo supply is smuggled into Ghana, and we consume it because it is cheaper,” he explained.
Mr Dumelo stressed that tackling smuggling is essential to support local farmers and ensure households have better access to Ghanaian products.
“If we want to strengthen our manufacturing base and consume what we grow, one of the things we need to do is close our borders so these smuggling activities stop,” he said, urging strict enforcement at border points.
