Relief for Ghanaian Consumers as Burkina Faso Ends Fresh Tomato Export Freeze

Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has announced that Burkina Faso has lifted its suspension on the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) for fresh tomatoes — a development the government says will ease supply pressures on the local market and stabilise prices for Ghanaian consumers.

The decision by Ouagadougou, communicated through a Joint Communiqué from relevant Burkinabe authorities, comes after improvements in supply to local processing units and commitments by stakeholders to guarantee adequate tomato availability for domestic industrial use in Burkina Faso.

The breakthrough is being credited, in part, to diplomatic legwork by Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, who held five bilateral meetings with her Burkinabe counterparts on the sidelines of the WTO MC14 ministerial conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon. One of those engagements has now produced a tangible result — the removal of the trade restriction on fresh tomatoes.

“This positive outcome reflects the effectiveness of ongoing bilateral engagements between Ghana and Burkina Faso,” the Ministry said in a statement, adding that it would continue working with Burkinabe authorities to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial trading relationship.
Beyond the diplomatic win, Accra is signalling that it has no intention of relying solely on imports to solve the country’s tomato supply challenges.

The government says it is intensifying efforts under its Feed the Industry and Feed Ghana initiatives, aimed at boosting domestic production, improving yields, and building a sustainable supply chain driven by Ghanaian farmers.

Targeted interventions are also being rolled out across the value chain. The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing irrigation projects to support year-round tomato production, while engagements with processors are ongoing to encourage backward integration.

The government is also making suitable land available for large-scale tomato cultivation to serve both processors and the wider domestic market.

Tomato traders and industry partners are being urged to collaborate with the government as it moves to protect both consumers and industry players from the kind of supply shocks that have periodically disrupted the market.

Ghana has long struggled with erratic tomato supplies, often worsened by post-harvest losses, inadequate processing capacity, and over-dependence on imports from neighbouring countries.

The lifting of Burkina Faso’s export ban, while welcome, underscores the urgent need for structural investment in Ghana’s domestic tomato value chain — a point the government appears keen to drive home even as it celebrates the diplomatic reprieve.

 

 

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