Burkina Faso’s government has suspended exports of millet, maize and sorghum flour, along with their by-products, across the entire national territory until further notice. The announcement came in a statement from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts dated 9 October 2026, which also halts the issuing of Special Export Authorisations (ASE) for these products.
Officials say the domestic market comes first. The aim is to keep these flours available inside the country and make them more affordable for consumers, since the cereals in question are a staple of Burkinabè household diets.
The reversal follows an opposite decision taken less than three months ago. On 21 July 2026, the same ministry lifted a ban that had been in force since 23 February 2022, so that national processing units could sell off their accumulated stocks. Exports were still subject to prior approval through an ASE. That window for processors is now closing quickly, even though the 2025-2026 farming season delivered 7.14 million tonnes of cereals and a coverage rate of 126.4% of national needs, a level the government described as historic.
To enforce the measure, the ministry is appealing to the “economic patriotism” of traders. Border control services and security forces have been called on to help, and anyone who breaks the rule faces the penalties set out in current regulations.
The statement does not explain why the policy was reversed so soon, so the article makes no claim on that point.