Tones of onion are left to rot on farms in the Anloga District of the Volta Region as farmers struggle to get buyers amidst a significant dip in market prices.
3news’ Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu reports that the situation has left a multitude of farmers distraught as their investments slip back into the soils.
A large number of farmers in the Anloga District cultivate onions, a major preoccupation that has served as a sustainable livelihood support for local families for many years.
From May to September, farmers in Tegbi and Agbedrafor areas till hundreds of acres of farmland for the cultivation of varieties of onion, particularly Bawku Red onions.
But this seasons’s yields are left on the fields to rot as the farmers struggle to get market for their produce amidst a sharp decline in market prices for onions, resulting in huge losses.
Jonathan, a local farmer at Tegbi Xekpa told 3news that, “I have loads of bags of onions in the market that I can’t get buyers for and on the farms, I have a lot I can’t harvest so I have left them to rot.”
“In essence, I have already lost more than 22,000kg of onions since I can’t find buyers,” he added.
Last year, a 75kg bag of onions which was sold between GHC1,700 to GHC2000 now sells for as low as GHC400 to GHC500.
The situation is blamed on competition in the market linked to the high prevalence of imported onions from the sub-region.
“The onions imported from Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria are cheaper and once they get into the market, buyers of the locally produced ones are not able to sell,” Raymond, another farmer told the reporter.
He lamented, “I have more than five acres of onions on the farms and in two weeks’ time, if I don’t get buyers, I would have lost the GHC30,000 I invested into the season.”
In the Ghanaian markets, prices continue to fluctuate due to competition from imported onions from neighboring Niger where approximately one million tons of onions are produced annually.
The lack of storage facilities and poor market infrastructure coupled with high production costs exacerbate the problem.
District Chief Executive for Anloga, Sandra Kpedor is appealing to government and state agencies to intervene.
“I have written to Buffer Stock and the school feeding caterers including second cycle institutions in the area to come and buy the stocks from the farmers, I will be glad the central government adds its voice to the call.”
The situation in the Anloga District cuts across the southern zone of the Volta Region including places like Ketu South where local farmers cultivate onions.
The losses being incurred could affect the financial strength of the farmers going into the next farming season.
