Authorities in Burkina Faso have suspended the export of fresh tomatoes, a move expected to worsen Ghana’s strained food supply.
A joint statement issued in Ouagadougou by the Burkinabè government announced an immediate halt to tomato exports nationwide “until further notice,” citing the need to prioritise domestic supply for local processing industries.
The directive, signed by the ministries of trade and agriculture, also suspends the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE), effectively closing formal export channels for the commodity. Traders with existing permits have been given a two-week window to complete ongoing transactions, after which all authorisations will be void.
The government warned that breaches of the directive would attract sanctions under existing regulations and said seized tomato consignments would be redirected to local processing factories to support domestic agro-industrial capacity.
Security agencies, border control units, and technical services have been tasked to enforce compliance, and the public has been urged to report violations through designated hotlines.
The export ban comes at a critical time for Ghana, where cross-border tomato trade with Burkina Faso has long supplied urban markets. Traders, particularly from commercial hubs such as Techiman, have relied on regular trips to Burkina Faso to fill gaps in local production.
However, the trade has been increasingly affected by insecurity in the Sahel region. In February 2026, seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed, and others injured, during an ambush by armed militants in the northern Burkinabè town of Titao.
The attack targeted traders on a routine commercial trip and reflects the growing threat posed by insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, who have intensified attacks on civilians and economic activity.
Following the ambush, the Ghana Armed Forces evacuated the injured to Accra, and authorities issued warnings to citizens travelling to high-risk areas.
Read the attached press statement in full below:
Source: theherald
