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CONSTRUCTION OF BURKINA FASO’S $8.1M TOMATO PLANT NEARS COMPLETION

CONSTRUCTION OF BURKINA FASO’S $8.1M TOMATO PLANT NEARS COMPLETION
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Faith Nyasuguta

The construction of a tomato processing plant worth USD 8.1 million in Burkina Faso is nearing completion. This significant project, initiated to boost the country’s capacity for producing tomato paste for both domestic use and export, is a major step in enhancing the agricultural sector.

President Ibrahim Traore officially inaugurated the construction of the plant in September 2023 at Bobo-Dioulasso. Funded by the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship (APEC), the project aimed to enhance Burkina Faso’s ability to produce and process tomatoes efficiently. 

The facility was designed to occupy 3 hectares and have a production capacity of 5 tons of tomato paste per hour. It is expected to create 100 direct jobs and over 5,000 indirect jobs, significantly contributing to the local economy.

President Ibrahim Traore /FaceBook/

Mariama Gnanou, governor of the Hauts-Bassins region, highlighted the current issues with the tomato market in Burkina Faso. She notes that while Burkinabe tomatoes are often sold raw to foreign buyers, the domestic market faces high costs for imported tomato paste, which comes with quality assurance challenges for consumers. 

The new plant aims to address these issues by providing a local source of processed tomato products, thereby reducing dependency on imports and supporting local agriculture.

The project is also expected to encourage the establishment of community businesses focusing on producing, processing, and marketing local resources in various sectors, including agriculture. In 2021, Burkina Faso produced 290,000 tonnes of tomatoes, much of which was exported to Ghana. The new processing facility was anticipated to boost not only local tomato production but also that in neighboring countries.

A report published by Springer highlighted the challenges faced by tomato farmers in West Africa, including inadequate storage and processing facilities. For instance, Nigeria, which produces 1.8 million metric tons of tomatoes annually, suffers from over 40% post-harvest losses. 

Additionally, the Nigerian tomato industry struggles with the influx of foreign tomato paste imports, despite a government ban, which undermines local manufacturers and poses potential health risks.

/Fresh Produce/

In response to these regional agricultural challenges, the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) launched the Food Security Resilience Program (FSRP), providing USD 766 million in funding. The FSRP focuses on increasing agricultural output through climate-smart technologies, promoting intra regional value chains, and building capacity for agricultural risk management. 

To date, the program has supported over 7.6 million farmers in West and Central Africa and distributed over 200,000 metric tons of fertilizers to vulnerable farmers, aiming to bolster food security and agricultural productivity in the region.

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Faith Nyasuguta

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