Yam and Maize register price drops in the Agbogbloshie market

The week ended November 20 saw the price of yam, both in wholesale and retail trading registering significant drop in the Agbogbloshie market in the Greater Accra region. Prices changed from GHC 0.40 and GHC 0.50 to GHC 0.30 and GHC0.40, a percentage decrease of 25 per cent and 20 per cent in wholesale and retail trading respectively.
The price of maize(white) in the same market also marked some decreases; dropping from GHC 0.60 and GHC 0.50 to GHC 0.50 and GHC 0.40 at the retail and wholesale levels. This registered a percentage decrease of 17 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
Elsewhere, most of the commodity prices did not register significant price movements. The price of tomatoes also stabilised in the week, with supply adjustments, which saw the movement of goods from markets that had lower prices in the previous week to those that had registered significant price increases smoothening out prices. According to Esoko market watchers, the prices of most of the commodities have remained stable, with no major increases in the monitored markets.
“We have not witnessed any major price increases in the past week”, Esoko market watchers reported. “Most of what has been witnessed has been very marginal increases for most of the commodities. There is nothing to suggest that we should expect any major market distortions”, market enumerators reported.
Esoko monitored market activity seems to confirm the government’s inflation figures, which have registered 15-months drops until it remained unchanged in October, from September figures. With the high production of most foodstuffs as a result of the good harvesting period, most commodities have been in good supply. However, as it is the case with most agricultural commodities, increase in yield has rather brought misery to some farmers. And it appears that those who produce perishables such as tomatoes have had to bear the pain of price crashes.
Just some few weeks back, tomato farmers in the Volta Region had to call for help from the government following the drop in the market price of the commodity, which made their operations unsustainable.
Source: Esoko