Editorial: Ghana Exporting Eggs To Burkina Faso Is Good But…

Ghana has begun exporting eggs to Burkina Faso to address a sustained surplus in domestic production, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced. The exports followed negotiations directed by President John Mahama to secure access to the neighbouring country’s market. However, Mr Opoku said the exports have not absorbed the entire surplus, prompting the government to explore additional domestic markets, including incorporating eggs into the School Feeding Programme.

The minister disclosed these measures during an inspection of poultry, meat and feed processing facility under construction at Bechem, in the Ahafo Region. The facility will process 6,000 birds hourly across two production lines and include cold rooms, a feed mill and a hatchery. Government expects completion by the end of the first quarter of 2027, with contractual arrangements planned to secure supplies from poultry farmers.

Ghana’s decision to export surplus eggs to Burkina Faso is a welcome development and a practical demonstration of how good policies and programmes can support agriculture. However, the bigger lesson is that producing enough food is only half the battle won, ensuring farmers can sell their produce profitably is equally important.

The poultry sector’s experience should prompt a broader review of Ghana’s agricultural policy. Farmers cannot be encouraged to increase production without corresponding investments in storage, processing, distribution and reliable markets. Otherwise, increased output could become a burden rather than a source of prosperity.

The government’s plan to incorporate eggs into the School Feeding Programme is sensible. Schools offer a potentially substantial, predictable market, while children benefit from the nutritional value of eggs. However, implementation must be properly funded, with timely payments to suppliers, transparent procurement and quality controls. The initiative should complement, rather than displace existing local suppliers.

The proposed processing facility at Bechem also offers promise. Its two production lines, cold rooms, feed mill and hatchery could strengthen the poultry value chain. Nevertheless, government must ensure that the project is completed on schedule and operates commercially, with sufficient supplies, dependable distribution and access to affordable inputs.

More importantly, Ghana must apply this thinking to other agricultural commodities. Tomato farmers, for instance, have repeatedly faced marketing difficulties even as the country continues to depend on imports. A Ministry of Food and Agriculture–International Food Policy Research Institute market brief estimated annual tomato consumption at approximately 440,000 tonnes and highlighted substantial post-harvest losses.

The government launched the Ghana Tomato Self-Sufficiency Initiative in September 2026, targeting annual production of 400,000 tonnes while addressing storage, processing and market access. This is encouraging, but its success must be measured not merely by tonnes harvested, but by farmers’ incomes, reduced imports and lower post-harvest losses.

Ghana should also identify export opportunities for tomatoes, vegetables, fruits and other commodities in neighbouring countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Such opportunities must be established through market research, buyer agreements, competitive pricing and compliance with destination countries’ food-safety requirements.

Exporting eggs to Burkina Faso demonstrates the value of bilateral negotiations, but markets must remain accessible and commercially viable. Ultimately, self-sufficiency should not mean producing food that farmers struggle to sell.

Government must connect agricultural production to consumption, processing and regional trade. Our farmers deserve not only the capacity to feed the nation, but also the opportunity to earn a decent living from what they produce.

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