Government has welcomed the decision by Burkina Faso to lift the suspension on the issuance of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) for fresh tomato exports, a move expected to ease supply constraints and stabilise the local tomato market.
The decision, announced through a joint communiqué by the Burkinabe authorities, follows improvements in tomato supply to domestic processing factories in Burkina Faso, as well as firm commitments from key stakeholders to prioritise local industrial demand before exports.
According to Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI), the resumption of tomato exports from Burkina Faso is anticipated to improve cross-border trade flows and help moderate prices in Ghana’s fresh produce markets.
“This positive development reflects the effectiveness of our ongoing bilateral engagements with Burkina Faso,” the Ministry stated.
The breakthrough comes on the back of sustained diplomatic and trade-level discussions between the two countries. Notably, one of five bilateral meetings held between Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and her Burkina Faso counterparts on the margins of the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has already yielded results with the removal of the restriction.
The Ministry indicated that it will continue to work closely with relevant state agencies and Burkinabe authorities to ensure a smooth, predictable, and mutually beneficial trading environment between the two neighbouring countries.
At the same time, government has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding local industries and strengthening Ghana’s domestic tomato value chain.
Efforts under flagship programmes such as Feed the Industry and Feed Ghana are being intensified to boost local production, improve yields, and ensure a sustainable supply of tomatoes by Ghanaian farmers.
As part of these efforts, targeted interventions are being rolled out across the entire value chain. These include irrigation projects by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture aimed at supporting year-round tomato production, as well as ongoing engagements with tomato processors to promote backward integration.
Government is also making suitable lands available for large-scale tomato cultivation to meet the needs of both processors and the domestic market.
Tomato traders and other industry stakeholders have been encouraged to collaborate with government as it implements measures to protect consumers while ensuring the long-term viability of local producers and processors.
The removal of the export suspension is expected to bring short-term relief to traders and consumers, even as government pursues medium- to long-term strategies to reduce Ghana’s dependence on tomato imports and strengthen local agribusiness competitiveness.
By: Christian Akorlie / businesspostonline
