News in brief: Guinea has imposed a six-month ban on exports of food commodities like rice, potatoes, palm oil, and more, in an effort to safeguard its food stocks before harvest season and ensure food sovereignty. The ban excludes its main agricultural exports and the country’s reliance on rice imports justifies the decision.
Authorities in Guinea have prohibited the export of certain food commodities for the next six months. Reports disclose that the decision was borne out of a need to preserve the countryâs food stocks before harvest season.
An official of the country’s trade ministry emphasised the need for the move, claiming it will enhance its food sovereignty and social peace. Commodities banned from export include rice, potatoes, palm oil, onions, peppers, fresh tomatoes, maize, okra, eggplant, yams, and cassava.
The source said the country was entering a lean period, hence, the urgency of the decision. Exports of these commodities against the administrationâs decision attracts severe fines or criminal prosecution.
Guineaâs agriculture sector used to employ approximately 75% of the labour workforce of the country and was an exporter of bananas, pineapples, coffee, peanuts, and palm oil. However, its poor road infrastructure has made it difficult for local farmers to export agriculture products at large scale.
Since 2017, Guinea’s agricultural exports have been steadily declining but Asian, Europe and other African countries still rely on it to some extent. Its main agricultural exports are cashew nuts, frozen fish, cocoa beans, natural rubber, coffee, fresh peaches & nectarines, fresh pears and quinces.
It is a relief for its export partners that these products are not included in the ban. The country’s local rice output suffers because it is mainly cultivated in flooded zones between streams and rivers. Hence, it relies on importation from Asia, so, the decision to ban exporting the produce makes sense.
Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world despite a rich subsoil that sees extraction of iron, bauxite and gold. The country has been in the grasp of military dictatorship since 2021, but mounting pressure has made the junta agree to hand over power to civilian authorities by the end of 2024.
