Tomatoes they could be done as red gold but soil is ideal and theyve been cultivated in the country for decades yet ghanas tomato factories now stand empty and farmers are opting to leave the country. The reason is that tomatoes have become gambling chips in global trade policy as have other products africa is a lucrative market shipments of canned tomatoes milk powder and frozen chicken from industrialized nations promise huge profits. Global trade policies are destroying domestic markets and forcing people to leave that country is edward for one no longer harvests tomatoes in ghana but in italy hauling conditioners. Gonna build up its tomato industry after gaining independence in 1957 the country was keen to develop its economy and utilize its own Natural Resources today all of ghanas tomato processing plants have shut down including this one in poilu group there are many reasons unstable power grid unsuitable tomato varieties under global trade policy italy china and other countries are dumping canada and process. Tomatoes on gonna look 1st. Thats why when i come. Im security im not tight i want to 1st water on country dont know what i can better ask for is good for you and for everybody after you did you have a factor so this is a Department Store on your computer for for for free for. Last year i did 2 months for it gets. The full government. Line on the market and destructive. So i was describing vincent acting god now grows onions instead of tomatoes he also used to work at the factory he and other former workers still come here they cant bear the thought of giving it up. This factory once provided a livelihood to an entire region a new this is a good of the factory and mood. Of the factory because if these factories working a lot of people are getting to throughout the past bruce is going to start. And everything this week. Theres new in the field these machines are moving. You know all the time he was headed that you have something that graph is is there sitting with you and not working it sounds an obvious who forced rigid. In this refractory is workable is good it is going to be the light of the north. Trade policies are a global competition and the more powerful players stand a better chance at accessing the most lucrative markets its the people on the ground who lose out. Benedict africa is a tomato farmer into a bottle in the middle of one of ghanas main Tomato Production regions. The many day laborers looking to be hired during the harvest season attest to widespread unemployment even at the busiest time of year some work to find work. Nearly half of gone as popular. Lives from agriculture a robust tomato growing industry would boost growth in rural areas nowhere is this industry more likely to flourish than here in the countrys fractal middle belt where you are but now that factories are no longer buying locally grown produce farmers are becoming increasingly worried that. Benedict grows tomatoes on a head tear of land if you believe. That the long. And asked back then is why unions would be also we have to buy water every day when it doesnt rain. Water cost 120. 00 c. D. s 20 euros and thats not even enough for the whole farnaby asshole battle we have to buy water every day for about a month and a half until the rain comes if we have a lot of problems which makes it hard to survive in this country and im up in cement and all my. Crops grow in abundance here the farmers could cultivate even more land and employ more workers yeah but they lack funds if they want to buy seed and fertilizer and pay for Irrigation Water they need to take out loans because its got to be we dont have money for fertilizer everythings expensive we cant sell our harvest and we end up and. I have a life or in children to care for us. Thats why ill have to head to the desert and try my luck elsewhere is it. Worth. It if. We were going to. Have almost more about people who make it to europe have better life than we do you know life is hard for us every day and we see people struggling and still. We have nothing whatever to do but know how he and the museum already. If the chance comes today or tomorrow ill head to the desert my farm is failing and the bank wants its money back im just rub it in the sky. And now that the factories are closed farmers such as benedikt to have to sell that produce to the market queens and sell it on in the cities. Close theres a surplus of projects during the harvest season so the farmers have to sell at rock bottom prices. Exams for my mattress 320. 00 c. C. s they offered 270. 00 and said others are getting even less done at this price i wonder and anything after that he could. Not have bobby out like a. Firefight and. Tomatoes are a food staple in ghana they account for 40 percent of spending on vegetables middle class canadians like their tomatoes canned gonna could meet at least a portion of its demand itself but the canned tomatoes here on the market are not domestic ones. Come out of china come up even in summer this has been some of the ill be very happy if we have a company here in town that we could use our own tomatoes canidae and instead of people going to queue for it and bring in a serious spend a lot of money good when big money to the kind of help the country to dump. Benedictus husband has gone to italy hoping to earn money to help support the family to pay for the Childrens School fees and also so they can invest in a house and a well to irrigate that crops. And yeah but it took him down a whole year my husband can earn more there than in gonna. See. What sort of he sends money every month. For me and our 2 children may not play. So everyones you know my power. Here in the village its obvious which families have relatives in europe theyre the ones whose homes are made of concrete its. A. Lot despite the problems besetting the industry many have continued to grow tomatoes. With. Benedict his house is still under construction for now she still paying rent. And id be more serious here not because i do you do it some prefer canned tomatoes because theyre more convenient you just add water and theyre ready thats it its but i prefer fresh ones. And more importantly we see whats in the interest. For the i dont know what i have 4 friends who farm tomatoes. And theyre all ready to set out to the desert rats and to those who you know who go on. Informal outside one month my husband is in europe and is making money and im working here. Thats how we manage marriage and children how to school. Almost we also use his money to pay rent and part of it to complete our house. As if you were here and it would be very hard for us im always glad to see to believe and try their luck elsewhere quite. Hello. It is very. Iliana morphy now at the. So you know what. Yes. If hes in italy he worked on an apple farm later on a tomato plantation and now he herds animals. From the. Most county and migrants live in other west african countries many also live in the u. S. And canada. And in europe. For gun and farmers theres no deagle route to europe most pass through the Sahara Desert and then cross the mediterranean according to the International Organization for migration or i. O. M. 16000 gunday and took this path to italy in the last 5 years. Many african migrants end up in southern italy but tomatoes grown here are processed and sold in cans including at low prices in ghana with production heavily subsidized italian tomatoes have a competitive advantage over local goods in africa. The Seasonal Workers from africa actually contribute to the problem by working for rock bottom wages which further lowers production costs few of them have reza. Its partly its the day laborers are exploited by my field and i see actions recruited by agents known as puppet on e ps middlemen pay them to crate off today to talk to the Commission Company and theyre going to get it through particularly since you still believe this you know theres a bill for you to. Use it to have fun up with little with the company cocacola you know katrina. From one its moving too quickly at 28 all. I did. Who often just said my we were at the helm and you said you know. Were going to go and look at her hill not to underclothing as yes you know for willing to offer kind of the countrys a big beard with the engine. Still get worse in the cellar monday and its kind of what we know from 40 c. 30 no from all the telly or from ottawas no farm it tell him what if you tell him to work on the machine. I did so want us all gone now and yeah i still dont want to lose. You are not working night eat anything gonna do you picket 11 which are right i live. There. My father i said farm my my rice also a farmer there used to grow up the mentalists