The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has welcomed the decision by Burkina Faso to lift its suspension on fresh tomato exports.
In a statement on April 2, 2026, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry highlighted that one of five key meetings by the Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare and her Burkinabe counterparts led to the lifting of the ban.
“This development is a positive outcome of ongoing bilateral engagements between Ghana and Burkina Faso,” said the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry.
They further disclosed that they will continue to collaborate with Burkinabe authorities and local stakeholders to maintain a smooth trading environment, adding that efforts to strengthen Ghana’s domestic tomato value chain are also being intensified.
The news comes after the Burkina Faso government has announced an immediate nationwide halt of tomato exports, raising concerns for Ghana.
In a joint statement issued, the Burkinabè government banned the export of fresh tomatoes.
The statement issued by the Burkinabè government in Ouagadougou says the suspension is effective immediately and will remain “until further notice,” to prioritise local supply for domestic processing industries.
The directive was signed by the Burkinabè trade and agriculture ministries, which have also halted the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE).
Reports suggest traders have been given a two-week window to complete ongoing transactions.
The decision by the Burkinabè government is expected to have immediate implications for Ghana’s food supply, with Ghana heavily dependent on tomato imports from Burkina Faso to supplement local production.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Agriculture Minister, John Dumelo, has said that within three or four years, Ghana should be self-sufficient in terms of tomato production.
John Dumelo urged the Ghanaian farmers to intensify dry-season farming to boost local production of tomatoes.
According to John Dumelo, Ghana may not immediately stop sourcing tomatoes from Burkina Faso, but it must take steps to reduce its reliance on imported tomatoes.
The Deputy Agric Minister added that sustained investment in local farming could change the situation in the medium term.
Speaking in an interview on Joy News on Thursday, March 19, 2026, John Dumelo stated, “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”.
“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 said.
“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.
See the post below:
Burkina Faso lifts ban on tomato export… #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/LEjn274o5W
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) April 2, 2026