The government has announced that it will engage the Burkina Faso government over the indefinite export ban on fresh tomatoes.

This comes after the Burkina government, in a formal communique dated March 16, and signed by both the Trades and Agriculture ministers of the Francophone country, announced that a ban has become necessary to feed the country’s national processing units.

This sparked widespread concerns about its potential to worsen Ghana's tomato supply crisis, as Ghana imports approximately 70-80% of its tomatoes from Burkina Faso, worth about $400 million annually.

Consequently, the Government of Ghana has announced plans to engage authorities in Burkina Faso, given the potency of its impact on supply in the Ghanaian market.

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.”

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.

Statement on the baon export by the Burkina Faso govt

Also the Burkina government says the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) has also been suspended. The Special Export Authorisations (ASE) are official permits issued by the government that allow traders to export certain goods,

“Economic operators and the public are hereby informed that, to ensure the supply of national processing plants, the export of fresh tomatoes is suspended throughout the national territory until further notice. Consequently, the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) is suspended.

The letter also stated that operators holding valid fresh tomato export permits have two (2) weeks from the date of signature of the communiqué to complete their export procedures. After two weeks, the permit will be considered invalid.

“Economic operators holding valid fresh tomato export authorisations have two (2) weeks from the date of signature of this communiqué to complete their export procedures. After this period, the authorisation will be considered invalid”, the statement continued.

The Burkinabé government warned that any violator of the directive will be sanctioned in accordance with applicable regulations.

“Furthermore, any goods seized in violation of this measure will be returned, free of charge, to the fresh tomato processing plants established under the popular shareholding scheme,” the letter translated to English noted.

It continued that, “The Government is counting on the understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders in the tomato sector, as well as all state technical services, particularly border control services and security forces, to ensure the proper implementation of the terms of this communiqué”.

Kumasi vendors express frustration

The impact of the ban is being felt well before any formal shortage sets in.

Some tomato vendors at the Racecourse Market in Kumasi are already expressing frustration over the development, warning that prices could spike if the situation is not quickly addressed.

The vendors are using the occasion to call on the government to prioritise the local tomato industry by revamping irrigation systems and investing in local processing facilities, longstanding concerns that have left Ghana’s tomato sector heavily dependent on imports from neighbouring countries, particularly Burkina Faso.

Ghana has historically relied on cross-border produce flows from Burkina Faso to supplement domestic tomato supply, especially during lean seasons when local harvests are insufficient to meet demand.

A sudden and indefinite halt to those exports is therefore expected to tighten supply significantly, with knock-on effects on prices at markets nationwide.

Northern Ghana, which serves as the main corridor for produce trade with Burkina Faso, is expected to feel the shortage most acutely in the short term.

Before this ban, Ghana was hit with the sad news of a fatal terrorist attack on tomato traders in mid-February.

A truck carrying Ghanaian tomato traders was attacked by terrorists in Titao, Burkina Faso, on Sunday, February, 15. This was contained in a press release issued to media houses and signed by the Minister for the Interior and National Security, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak.

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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.