Burkina Faso's indefinite ban on exporting fresh tomatoes remains a major concern for Ghana.

Following the Trade and Agriculture Minister of the military-led country's official communique on the ban, several stakeholders have expressed concerns about its impact on supply in the Ghanaian market, since Ghana imports about 70-80% of its tomatoes from the country.

Adding to the voices of concern is the Head of Protocol at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Justice Quarm, who has admitted that the ban on tomato imports from Burkina Faso will significantly affect Ghana.

During an interview on Accra-based radio station Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he noted that "the ban on tomato imports from Burkina Faso will significantly affect Ghana," citing that this is not the first time such a ban has occurred.

He recounted a similar situation in November 2024 under the erstwhile government, when political

He recalled that between November and December 2024, following political events in Burkina Faso, authorities there imposed a similar ban, which disrupted supply and led to a sharp increase in prices in Ghana. After the incumbent government assumed power, it engaged farmers to find lasting solutions.

The government intervention later led to a tomato glut, after which traders complained, prompting another intervention by the government through buffer stock purchases.

He, however, revealed that among the challenges identified after the government's engagement with farmers is the lack of irrigation systems, inadequate funding and limited access to farming equipment.

However, he noted that a major challenge remains the types of tomato species grown locally, which affect quality and demand.

“The current ban is going to really hit Ghanaians because all the measures the Ministry and government have put in place to boost local tomato production have not yet fully materialised,” he added.

To address this, he said the government has encouraged the formation of cooperatives to improve large-scale production and has also cut sod for the construction of a tomato processing plant.

Despite these interventions, he admitted that the current ban will still impact Ghanaians, as many of the long-term measures have not yet fully materialised.

He further noted that the government is taking additional steps, including plans to establish a farm service centre at Afram Plains, where improved tomato and vegetable seedlings will be made available to farmers.

Meanwhile, the government of Ghana has announced that it will engage the Burkina Faso government over the indefinite export ban on fresh tomatoes.

In a statement shared 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.

It 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 continued that, “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 Ministry also urged tomato traders and the general public to remain calm while it makes an effort to reach an amicable resolution to restore normal trade flows between the two countries.

Can Ghana be self-sufficient soon or later?

The Agric Ministry said it has urged Ghanaian farmers to intensify dry-season farming to boost local production and stabilise food supply to mitigate the pressures from the ban.

Speaking in an interview on Joy News on Thursday, March 19, the deputy Agriculture Minister, John Dumelo, acknowledged that Ghana's dependence on Burkina for tomatoes may not end immediately, but with intense local farming in the dry season under improved irrigation infrastructure, the country should be self-sufficient in the next 3-4 years

“For us, going to Burkina Faso for tomatoes might not end immediately, but once they get encouraged, within three or four years, we should be self-sufficient when it comes to tomato production,” he said.

He urged farmers to scale up production, pledging the government's readiness to support them to produce tomatoes, especially during this ban.

“I told them to let me know what they need to help them scale up production, especially in the next dry season… The government is committed to helping them to scale up production,” he added.

The Ayawaso West Wuogon Member of Parliament continued, “I am yet to get the reason why the Burkina Faso government announced the ban and the details that come with it. But last year, I was in the Northern Region, and I urged them to produce tomatoes in the dry season. This dry season, I went back, and most of them are doing just that,” he added.