Prioritise domestic vegetable production to meet demand

The Burkinabè government has announced an immediate nationwide halt to tomato exports until further notice. Authorities in Burkina Faso say the move is intended to prioritise domestic supply for local processing industries.

However, traders with existing permits have been granted a two-week window to complete ongoing transactions – after which all authorisations will be revoked.

Security agencies and border officials have been tasked to enforce this directive while the public has been encouraged to report violations.

Obviously, this decision is expected to have immediate implications for Ghana, particularly in major trading hubs such as Techiman where traders rely heavily on imports from Burkina Faso to supplement local tomato production.

Cross-border tomato trade has long played a critical role in stabilising prices for Ghanaian markets, especially during periods of low domestic output.

It is to be recalled that in February this year seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed and others injured during an ambush by armed militants in the northern Burkinabè town of Titao, highlighted the growing risks facing cross-border commerce.

Market watchers warn that tomato prices could rise further in the coming weeks. According to the Burkina Faso government, 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.

Burkina Faso has in recent years been pushing to develop its agro-processing sector as part of broader efforts aimed at reducing dependence on raw commodity exports.

This directive, we believe, will prompt improvements in local production to fill the void. Irrigation infrastructure must be improved to ensure year-round cultivation of essential vegetables like tomatoes, pepper and onions.

Following insecurity in the Sahel due to activities of terrorists, a number of Ghanaians have expressed worry at the country’s reliance on Burkina Faso for our tomato needs and urged that local production be scaled up to satisfy local demand.

This policy decision by Burkina Faso might prompt increased production of tomatoes domestically and heighten the need for scaling up irrigation to increase production and meet local demand.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention!