Tomatoes Ban: 'We can't continue to be fed by dry land Burkina Faso' - Kpebu
Martin Kpebu urged Ghana to make better use of its arable land to grow tomatoes and other produce for local consumption, saying "This should cause Ghana to step up agribusiness; we can't continue to be fed by Burkina Faso, a dry land." He made this statement while speaking on TV3's The KeyPoints.
Kpebu noted that Burkina Faso's recent suspension of tomato exports shows the urgent need for Ghana to invest more in agribusiness. He added, "Look at the land, we have a lot of arable land here, we have no excuse. People in the desert are doing serious farming." Burkina Faso suspended all fresh tomato exports across its territory with immediate effect. The ban was announced in a joint communiqué dated March 16, 2026, and 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 directive applies nationwide and will remain in force "until further notice." Exporters holding valid authorisations have been granted a two-week grace period to complete pending shipments, after which all existing authorisations will be null and void. The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has announced plans to engage authorities in Burkina Faso over the suspension. The government emphasized its commitment to boosting local tomato production under the "Feed Ghana" and "Feed the Industry" programmes.
Quick Summary
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has called on Ghana to utilise its land to grow tomatoes. He believes that Burkina Faso's tomato export suspension highlights - but what does this mean for Ghana's agricultural future?
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