Burkina Faso’s March 16 ban on fresh tomato imports has raised concerns about a potential shortage in Ghanaian markets. This is because Ghana imports a very large share of its fresh tomatoes from Burkina Faso, about 75,000 tonnes annually, valued at roughly GH¢400 million, particularly during dry seasons.

However, speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, 25 March, at a press conference in Accra,

Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, assured Ghanaians that there will be no tomato shortage as widely being reported, as the government has stepped up measures to boost yields, cut post-harvest losses and expand irrigation-backed production to stabilise supply.

Among the measures are the drilling of over 200 boreholes across the Northern Region, securing more land for tomato cultivation and improving irrigation systems, as well as introducing improved tomato seeds for better yields.

“Collaboration with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement will deliver improved tomato seeds capable of raising yields to at least 15 metric tonnes per hectare within months. In addition, the government is expanding irrigation under the Vegetable Development Project, including cluster farming in Ahafo and Fanteakwa, drilling 250 boreholes across the northern regions, and securing hundreds of hectares under existing irrigation systems for immediate tomato cultivation,” he indicated.

He continued, “We have been importing tomatoes from Burkina Faso to supplement local production… a clear indication that if we don’t put in place the right mechanisms to increase production, we are likely to run into challenges,” Mr Opoku noted.

Ghana’s annual tomato demand stands at about 805,000 metric tonnes, while current production is estimated at 510,000 metric tonnes, leaving a deficit of nearly 300,000 metric tonnes.

One of the major concerns raised by the Minister was a long-standing trend of post-harvest losses, citing the loss of about 30 percent of local production- approximately 153,000 metric tonnes.

Reducing the losses could significantly close the supply gap, he said, adding that: “It is not about increasing the size of the land under cultivation. It is about developing the right variety and creating the conditions to maximise output.”

Under the Vegetable Development Project, Mr Opoku said farmers were being supported with improved seeds, fertilisers and technical guidance, alongside irrigation infrastructure to ensure year-round production.

The Vegetable Development Project (VDP) is Ghana’s flagship agricultural initiative launched in November 2025 in Kukuom, Ahafo Region, aimed at boosting local vegetable production, reducing reliance on imports, and creating jobs. It focuses on tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other key vegetables, with strong government support for farmers.

He noted that 60 hectares each had been developed in Ahafo and Fanteakwa with mechanisation and water supply systems, while additional sites were being prepared for expansion.

A rehabilitated irrigation scheme had made 500 hectares available for immediate tomato production after agreements were reached to connect farmers with buyers to guarantee off-take, he added.

One hundred hectares had also been secured at Akumadan to further scale up production.

The Minister said ongoing interventions to improve productivity, reduce waste and strengthen market systems would stabilise supply and enhance food security in the long term.

Govt’s response to the ban

Meanwhile, the government 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.

World Bank secures $20m grant for Ghana amid looming tomato crisis

As part of efforts to avert this crisis, the World Bank has secured a $20 million grant from the Dutch government to mitigate the impact of a looming tomato shortage in Ghana.

Speaking at a World Bank-civil society organisation (CSO) engagement on food security held in Accra, an Agricultural Economist with the World Bank, Dr Ashwini Sebastian, noted that the institution will collaborate with the local tomato traders association to strengthen supply chains, improve storage facilities, and support domestic production.

“Our colleagues from the Dutch embassy will come in. We have been able to leverage that small grant to get a $20 million grant for tomato interventions in Ghana from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and so we are in the phase of designing that intervention.

“We will reach out to the tomato association more because we have been having some debates about location and trying to cluster the intervention.”

Until when will Ghana be independent?

Reacting to the new development, 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 that, “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.