West African Fruits, Nuts Dominate Ghana's 2023 Imports

News in Brief: ***- Ghana's trade report reveals that the country imports a significant amount of fruits, nuts, and cocoa beans from neighboring West African nations.

• Burkina Faso being a leading supplier of mangoes and shea nuts, and Cote d'Ivoire a key source of cocoa beans and palm oil.*** Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) trade report sheds light on the country's import patterns in 2023, highlighting a significant trade flow of fruits and nuts from neighboring West African nations. It reveals that Ghana imported a substantial amount of mangoes from Burkina Faso in 2023, valued at GHC 166,240,503 (approximately $13.8 million in 2023). This figure positions Burkina Faso as a leading supplier of mangoes to Ghana. Also, it imported cocoa beans from Cote d'Ivoire in 2023, which amounted to GHC 185,205,246 ($15.37 million), suggesting a strong reliance on Cote d'Ivoire for cocoa, a major cash crop for Ghana. Meantime, Ghana's palm oil imports in 2023 originated mainly from both Togo and Cote d'Ivoire. The statistics' office report indicates imports worth GHC 141,359,094 from Togo and GHC 154,796,314 ($11.73 million) from Cote d'Ivoire, suggesting a diversified palm oil import strategy within the West African region. Another key highlight from the report is Ghana's import of shea nuts, another significant commodity, from Burkina Faso. The value of shea nuts imported in 2023 reached GHC 1,893,864,945 ($157.2 million), underlining the importance of Burkina Faso as an essential supplier for Ghana's local demand. The 2023 trade report provides valuable insights into Ghana's import landscape, particularly its reliance on West African neighbors for fruits, nuts, and other key commodities.