Niger military junta causes sharp increase in onion price, traders

The price of onion in the Sunyani market has increased as a result of the Niger military junta that has led to boarder closures leading to the lock-up of trucks supposed to covey the vegetable from Niger through Burkina Faso to Ghana.

In view of that, consumers, and onion sellers in response to a Ghana News Agency (GNA) market survey in Sunyani appealed to the government and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate as a matter of urgency to ensure adherence to the free movement of goods and services protocol by particularly security agencies of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.

According to them, that would allow trucks loaded with edible products, especially onions and others from those countries into Ghana since the price of onion keep rising in the markets.

Madam Joyce Afriyie, an onion seller told the GNA that a black v-shaped average size rubber container full of onion had increased from GhC100.00 to GhC150.00 for about two weeks, now after onion-loaded trucks were held up in the Burkina Faso.

She expressed the fear that if the situation was not changed for the better now, the price might increase to almost GhC200.00 since a maxi-bag of the vegetable was now being bought at a wholesale price of more than GhC1,800.00 instead of hitherto, GhC1000.00 and thus making it difficult for retail traders to sell for profit.

“We may not have any option than to increase the price to any level that could not affect our business capitals because many of us borrowed from the banks and we are to pay interest at the end of every month,” Madam Afriyie add.

Other traders and consumers the GNA spoke to expressed similar fears and concerns of the skyrocketing price of the vegetable, saying that, it could even affect prices of sold cooked food items because onion remained one of the main and indispensable ingredients in food preparation.