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The World Food Programme estimates that about 1 million people in Ghana will face food shortages between June and August this year.
With food prices set to rise across the country, 3news.com’s Sarfoa Boahene visited one of Ghana’s most popular markets, Agbogbloshie, to assess the cost of basic food items and the impact it is having on the local market.
Market women there shared their experiences and observations on the rising prices of vegetables. The general concern about the price increase is mainly due to the current dry season, which has affected the supply and quality of agricultural products. As a result, the shortage of vegetables has made their prices beyond the affordability of many consumers.
“Now, the price of pepper has gone up. It doesn’t rain often here but the current rains are destroying the farms. Pepper has become scarce and a bag of pepper now costs 2,200 Ghanaian cedis,” explained a market woman.
Another vendor expressed bitterness that buyers and customers have decided that the rise in vegetable prices is the vendors’ fault.
“Without the rain, farmers would have harvested only one or two boxes of vegetables instead of 10. The transportation cost and all other costs incurred during production and transportation are included in the price, which leads to the increase in prices, so it is not the fault of the market vendors,” she said.
The market women called on the government to allocate more land for agricultural activities and make the industry attractive to attract youths into the sector which will go some way in reducing unemployment problem in the country.
By providing more land, the government can encourage farmers to grow more crops, ensuring a steady supply year-round and stabilizing prices. Market women believe such initiatives will not only benefit the agricultural sector, but also contribute to overall economic growth and food security.
In addition, some customers also stressed the importance of taking measures to preserve food during harvest seasons, fearing that certain vegetables would go to waste when they are out of season, leading to shortages.
By investing in proper storage facilities and technology, governments can ensure that surplus produce is preserved for future use. This will help maintain a steady supply of vegetables and prevent high prices during the off-season.
“Tomatoes are seasonal so sometimes when you come you find it cheap but now to pay 50 Ghanaian cedis for it is too expensive. So the only thing we can do or the only thing the government can do as a country is to protect the tomato when it is in season,” said Seth.
The market women stressed that their demands are not just requests but urgent requests for government to take responsibility and support them. They stressed that the government plays a key role in addressing the challenges facing the agricultural sector and ensuring national food security, and therefore called on the government to intervene.
3 news.com
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