Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s 36-year-old military president, has inaugurated its first locally funded tomato processing factory.
The factory is a major stride towards promoting food security and economic sustainability in the country. It is located in Bobo-Dioulasso in western Burkina Faso.
According to the Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB), the government constructed the facility in just 462 days at a cost of FCFA 7.5 billion.
The funding came entirely from Burkinabes through a popular shareholder initiative—marking the first time a factory was built without soliciting external funds.
Transforming Burkina Faso’s Agricultural Sector
The state-of-the-art plant has a processing capacity of 100 tonnes of tomatoes per day and can produce 800 kilograms of finished products per hour.
It could generate 187 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs, with an average annual turnover of FCFA 8 billion in its first five years of operation, according to Karim Traoré, General Manager of the Agency for the Promotion of Popular Shareholders (APEC).
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, President Ibrahim Traoré lauded the initiative and the Burkinabe people for their overwhelming support.
“Today is a great day. I thank those who understood our mission and signed up en masse, and I encourage those who were skeptical to join this movement,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of endogenous development—relying on local resources and efforts to drive growth.
“We can only develop by ourselves,” Traoré asserted.
He urged factory workers to set an example for others to follow and inspire greater participation in APEC projects.
Expanding the Vision
The tomato factory is just one of many projects spearheaded by APEC. APEC established it in February 2023 to harness local resources for national development.
Captain Traoré announced further plans to open a similar facility in Yako in the North in the coming days.
Tenkodogo is planning another project in the East-Centre region.
These projects align with Traoré’s broader vision of economic resilience and sustainability.
Since assuming power in September 2022, after overthrowing Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, Traoré has prioritised strengthening local industries and addressing the country’s challenges, including persistent jihadist attacks.
Addressing Farmers’ Plight
The Bobo-Dioulasso factory represents a crucial solution to the longstanding issue of tomato wastage in Burkina Faso.
Farmers often face dire circumstances, forced to sell their produce at exploitative prices or let it rot due to a lack of preservation and processing facilities. The new plant offers a sustainable alternative, ensuring better value for their produce and a stable market.
The facility’s inauguration further signals a new era of self-reliance for Burkina Faso. With its success, the government therefore hopes to inspire more citizens to participate in initiatives like APEC.
“We are building an example here that we hope will spread across the nation,” Traoré stated, urging Burkinabes to embrace the doctrine of endogenous development.
