Prices of foodstuff have gone up slightly in some markets in Accra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visits by the Ghana News Agency to the Anyaa, Mallam and the CMB markets on Thursday, revealed that the prices had shot up because some foodstuffs are out of season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cassava, yam, and plantain are the main crops affected by the price hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madam Florence Akoto, a Yam seller at Anyaa Market, said the demand for yam was high but due to the price rise, they were not able to purchase much from suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis happens every year because there are seasons and times for everything and this should have been a dry season where the ground becomes difficult to dig or break up the soil leading to scarcity of such food items on the market,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madam Grace Okailey, a plantain seller at Mallam market, also said plantain was not in abundance hence the change in prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She appealed to consumers to manage what was available on the market and bear with them in terms of the prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Auntie Ataa Badu, a farmer who supplies plantain to some market women, said plantain was not on the market because it was out of season, adding that the higher prices was not deliberate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery market day is payday for me because I have enough to sell, but now when I go to the farm, I don\u2019t get much, and it is a waste of transport and not getting anything in return, so I hardly go nowadays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB) market, the story was not different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The traders complained that the scarcity of plantain had slowed down their business activities, apart from the negative impact of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madam Akua Nipaa, a plantain supplier within the CMB yard, said she used to supply about three cars of plantain a week, but the situation has changed, and that she struggled to get a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis place is always busy during plantain seasons at a cheaper cost, but as you can see now, it is as if nothing goes on here and those we have available are quite expensive,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GNA observed that a branch of plantain, which was sold between GH\u00a2 12.00 and GH\u00a2 20.00 is now being sold between GH\u00a2 18.00 and GH\u00a2 25.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three medium-size fingers of plantain are being sold at GH\u00a2 5.00, with a tuber of yam (Puna), which was sold between GH\u00a2 7.00 to GH\u00a2 8.00, now going between GH\u00a212.00 to GH\u00a2 15.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n