Burkina Faso lifts four year ban on cereal flour exports
Government says the move will support local processors while keeping controls on export volumes.
BURKINA FASO – Burkina Faso has lifted its four year suspension on cereal flour exports, allowing local processors to sell millet, maize, and sorghum flour to foreign markets once again.
The government announced the decision on July 21, ending restrictions introduced on February 23, 2022, when authorities sought to protect domestic food supplies during a period of market pressure. According to the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts, the decision aims to “facilitate the sale of stocks of cereal based products from national processing units.”
Exporters can now resume shipments, but they must first obtain a Special Export Authorization. The requirement allows authorities to monitor the amount of flour leaving the country while keeping a close watch on local food supplies.
The decision comes after several years of stronger cereal production across the country. National cereal output rose from 4.66 million tonnes in the 2021/2022 season to 7.14 million tonnes in 2025/2026. That marks an increase of about 53% over the period.
Figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Demography show that production remained close to 5.1 million tonnes during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons before increasing to around 6 million tonnes in 2024/2025. Production then reached its highest level in the 2025/2026 season.
Maize remains the country’s largest cereal crop, accounting for nearly 38% of total production. Sorghum follows with 34%, while paddy rice represents 14%. Millet also continues to play an important role in national cereal production and household food supplies.
Although the government did not directly link higher cereal production to its decision to reopen flour exports, the move could increase demand for locally processed cereals. Greater access to export markets may also create more business for processing companies that buy grain from farmers across the country.
Burkina Faso has also maintained a strong production base for cereals in recent years. Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Demography show that farmers planted an average of 4.2 million hectares of cereal crops each year between the 2019/2020 and 2023/2024 seasons.
The reopening of flour exports marks a policy change for Burkina Faso as the government seeks to balance domestic food security with business opportunities for local cereal processors while keeping export volumes under official control.
Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
