Burkina Faso’s military-led government, has with immediate effect banned the exportation of raw tomatoes, a move expected to deepen supply challenges in Ghana.
The ban comes weeks after some 7 Ghanaian tomato traders were injured and burned beyond recognition in an ambush by a terrorist group in the northern Burkinabe town of Titao.
The action by the Burkinabe authorities has sent panic reactions to Ghana which shares economic and agricultural trade links with Burkina Faso. Some tomato traders have been left disappointed and confused their business is going to suffer.
The directive obviously will greatly affect Ghana especially tomato sellers, homes and food vendors like kenkey sellers who are unable to do without the vegetable.
The ban was announced in a joint communiqué dated March 16, 2026, was signed by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Artisanat, Serge Gnaniodem Poda, and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Water, Animal and Fisheries Resources, Commandant Ismaël Sombie.
The decision is to enable the country feed their factories and add value to the product before selling.
The directive applies to the entire national territory “until further notice,” the communiqué states, and covers all economic operators involved in fresh tomato exportation.
“The exportation of fresh tomatoes is suspended across the entire national territory until further notice,” the joint communiqué reads, citing the need to ensure adequate supply to national processing units.
The issuance of Special Export Authorisations, known by their French acronym ASE, has also been suspended with immediate effect.
Operators who already hold valid tomato export authorisations have been given a two-week window from the date of the communiqué to complete any pending export procedures.
After that deadline, all existing authorisations will be considered null and void.
The government warned that any violation of the directive will attract sanctions in accordance with existing regulations. Any goods seized for breaching the ban will be handed over, free of charge, to industrial tomato processing units established under the country’s popular shareholding framework.
Security agencies and border officials have been tasked to enforce the directive, while the public has been encouraged to report violations.
Burkina Faso has in recent years been pushing to develop its agro-processing sector as part of broader efforts to reduce dependence on raw commodity exports a policy direction that has become more pronounced under the transitional military administration led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Cross-border tomato trade has long played a critical role in stabilising prices in Ghanaian markets, especially during periods of low domestic output. However, the trade has faced increasing disruption due to insecurity in the Sahel region.
By Gifty Boateng