Burkina Faso halts flour exports to conserve supplies

Burkina Faso has suspended exports of millet, maize and sorghum flour and related products until further notice to conserve domestic supplies, Trade Minister Serge Gnaniodem Poda said in an October 9 statement seen Sunday.

“Exports of cereal flour (millet, maize and sorghum) and related products are suspended throughout the national territory until further notice,” Poda said. He said the decision was intended to keep the products regularly available on the market and improve consumer access.

The military government says cereal production reached 7.15 million tonnes in 2025, covering 126 percent of the country's needs. Burkina Faso has also benefited in recent years from donations of Russian grain.

The measure follows a previous flour export ban imposed in 2022 and lifted in July 2026. Businesses have complained that flour has been shipped in large quantities to neighbouring countries where prices are higher, causing shortages and price rises at home.

Burkina Faso already restricts exports of several agricultural products, livestock and shea nuts. The government, which seized power in a September 2022 coup, has made economic sovereignty and food self-sufficiency key priorities.