The Government of Ghana has announced plans to engage authorities in Burkina Faso following that country’s decision to suspend the export of fresh tomatoes, a move expected to impact supply on the Ghanaian market.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 20, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry said the engagement will focus on resolving concerns surrounding the ban while exploring a mutually beneficial outcome for both countries, given the longstanding trade ties and Ghana’s reliance on tomato imports from Burkina Faso.
The government also assured that it is working closely with relevant state institutions and stakeholders to mitigate the potential impact of the restriction, while efforts are underway to stabilise supply in the short term.
“The government reiterates its commitment to working with stakeholders to boost local tomato production under the ‘Feed Ghana’ and ‘Feed the Industry’ programmes, aimed at increasing output to meet demand on the domestic market”, the statement said.
The Ministry also appealed to tomato traders to remain calm as discussions progress, expressing optimism that an amicable resolution will be reached to restore normal trade flows between the two countries.
In a joint statement issued in Ouagadougou on Thursday, March 19, the Burkinabè government announced an immediate nationwide halt to tomato exports “until further notice,” explaining that the move is intended to prioritise domestic supply for local processing industries
The directive, signed by the country’s trade and agriculture ministries, also suspends the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE), effectively shutting down formal export channels for tomatoes.
Traders with existing permits have been granted a two-week window to complete ongoing transactions, after which all authorisations will be revoked.
The government warned that any breach of the directive would attract sanctions under existing laws, adding that seized consignments would be redirected to local processing factories to support domestic agro-industrial production.
