Bananas market in Burkina Faso

Earlier Report Observations

In 2019, the banana market volume in Burkina Faso fell to 36 683 t, a drop partly linked to reduced imports from Côte d’Ivoire, which supplied over half the market, amid rising import prices. The market rebounded to 46 615 t in 2020, supported by the expansion of local cultivation following the success of pilot projects like Sylvie Kassongo’s award-winning plantain field, which demonstrated the crop's viability and encouraged broader adoption.

From 2021 to 2023, market volume grew steadily, reaching 47 993 t. This gradual increase was reinforced by agricultural investments, notably in the Bagré region, where improved irrigation and fertilizer use boosted banana plantation productivity and local incomes.

In 2024, the government launched the Presidential Agricultural Production Initiative, aiming to distribute 70 000 banana plantain seedlings and develop small-scale processing units, furthering the trend toward self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on imports.

Production bananas in Burkina Faso

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of bananas, 2017-2020

World map of production of bananas, 2017-2020

In 2020, Burkina Faso produced 46 000 tonnes of bananas, marking a 27.8% increase compared to the previous year. However, looking at the broader period from 2017 to 2020, overall production declined by 14.8%, which translates to an average annual decrease of 5.2%. The lowest production level was recorded in 2019 at 36 000 tonnes, while the peak occurred in 2018 with 56 000 tonnes. The most significant year-on-year drop was observed in 2019, when production fell by 35.7%.

Annual dynamics of production in Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports bananas from Burkina Faso

According to market research, Burkina Faso did not export any bananas between 2017 and 2020.

Imports bananas to Burkina Faso

Imports in kind, t

Banana imports into Burkina Faso showed notable fluctuations during this period. The lowest volume was recorded in 2017, while imports peaked in 2018, representing a two-fold increase between these years. In 2020, foreign banana supplies to Burkina Faso amounted to 614.5 tonnes, down 10.0% from the previous year. The highest import volume was in 2018 at 930.0 tonnes. The largest year-on-year decline occurred in 2019 with a 26.6% drop, while the most substantial increase was in 2018, when imports surged by 95.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Ghana accounted for nearly all of Burkina Faso's banana imports in volume terms, representing 95.2% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Burkina Faso in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, $ US

Banana imports into Burkina Faso, measured in value terms, declined for the second consecutive year. In 2020, imports totaled 10 627 US dollars, reflecting a modest 7.1% decrease compared to 2019. Over the entire period from 2017 to 2020, imports fell by 7.6%, equivalent to an average annual decline of 2.6%. The highest value was recorded in 2018 at 16 947 US dollars. The most significant year-on-year drop occurred in 2019 with a 32.5% decrease, while the largest increase was in 2018, when import value rose by 47.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Burkina Faso in value, 2017-2020, $ US

Throughout the 2017–2020 period, Ghana dominated Burkina Faso's banana imports in value terms, consistently making up 90.7% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Burkina Faso in value, 2017-2020