Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana Warns of Food Security Risks as Burkina Faso Tomato Export Ban Exposes Supply Vulnerabilities
Ghana faces an urgent food security threat following Burkina Faso’s decision to halt fresh tomato exports, with the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana warning of deep structural vulnerabilities in the country’s agricultural supply chain.
In a statement issued on March 20, 2026, the Chamber noted that the export ban has effectively shut down a critical supply corridor through which Ghana sourced up to 90% of its dry-season tomato needs, exposing long-standing dependence on external markets.
According to the Chamber, Ghana’s annual tomato demand stands at approximately 800,000 metric tonnes, against peak domestic output of 510,000 metric tonnes, leaving a supply gap of about 290,000 metric tonnes that must be urgently addressed.
“The ban represents more than a trade disruption… it exposes, with devastating clarity, the depth of Ghana’s strategic vulnerability,” the statement said, stressing that the challenge is structural and rooted in years of underinvestment in irrigation, processing, and farmer support systems.
The immediate impact is already being felt across the economy, with the Chamber citing sustained tomato price inflation in major urban markets, a projected dry-season supply shortfall of between 200,000 and 300,000 metric tonnes, and increased foreign exchange pressures as imports of tomato paste from China and the European Union rise.
The development is also expected to disrupt livelihoods within the informal trading sector, particularly among traders whose businesses depend on cross-border tomato supply chains.
In response, the Chamber is calling for the establishment of a National Tomato Emergency Strategy aimed at achieving year-round self-sufficiency by March 2027. The strategy is expected to close the supply gap through expanded irrigated production and reduced post-harvest losses.
The proposal underscores the need for a coordinated national response involving government, private sector actors, and development partners, warning that delays could deepen inflationary pressures and worsen food insecurity.
