Can pineapples thrive in Africa’s Sahel? A Burkina Faso farmer says the answer is yes | National News

On Sep 1, 2026

BOBO-DIOULASSO, Burkina Faso (AP) — The soil beneath Oumarou Compaoré’s boots is sandy and stony. It’s hardly the lush setting usually needed to support growing pineapples.

But this farm in landlocked Burkina Faso is part of national efforts to reduce overall reliance on imports and adapt to an ever-harsher climate in the dry heat of Africa’s Sahel region. Pineapples have long been seen as exotic fruit grown by richer coastal neighbors, and more expensive than the mangoes that grow outside many Burkinabe homes.

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