Ghana to talk to Burkina Faso over tomato export ban

The Government of Ghana has announced plans to initiate diplomatic engagement with authorities in Burkina Faso following the latter’s decision to suspend the export of fresh tomatoes, a development expected to disrupt supply within the Ghanaian market.

The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in a statement released on Friday, March 20, indicated that discussions will focus on addressing concerns surrounding the restriction while seeking a mutually beneficial resolution.

The Ministry emphasised the importance of longstanding trade relations between the two countries, noting Ghana’s significant dependence on tomato imports from Burkina Faso.

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The government further assured that it is collaborating with relevant state agencies and industry stakeholders to cushion the potential impact of the export suspension. Measures are also being explored 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.

Authorities have also appealed to tomato traders to remain calm as engagements continue, expressing confidence that discussions will lead to an amicable resolution and the restoration of normal trade flows.

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Meanwhile, 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", citing the need to prioritise domestic supply for local processing industries.

The directive, signed by the country’s trade and agriculture ministries, includes the suspension of Special Export Authorisations (ASE), effectively halting formal export channels for tomatoes.

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However, traders holding existing permits have been granted a two-week grace period to complete ongoing transactions, after which all authorisations will be revoked.

The Burkinabè authorities cautioned that any violations of the directive would attract sanctions under existing laws, adding that confiscated consignments would be redirected to local processing factories to support domestic agro-industrial production.