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Minister blames external factors for cassava shortage

There have been reports of cassava shortage on the market, with four to five tubers going for GHC20.

 

Shortage of cassava has been reported across the country prompting a sharp rise in the price.

A bag of 250 kilogram of cassava which used to sell for GHC 200 now sells at GHC 600 and beyond in Accra. Same kilos which used to sell for GHC20 in parts of the Brong Ahafo region now sells at GHC 100 .

According to Alhassan, the problem is wider than the ministry's mandate.

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"There are transport issues, there are infrastructure issues," he said in an interview with Citi FM. "So you know that it is a distribution problem which is wider than the mandate of the ministry."

"There are remoteness of production areas in relation to markets..."These are all things that are outside the mandate of the ministry, he said.

"I don't build roads," he noted.

He stressed that Ghana produce enough cassava to feed the country.

"This country as at last year produced17 million metric tonnes of cassava and we need just 10 million tonnes to feed the population," the minister added.

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Cassava traders have rubbished claims by consumers that they have taken undue advantage of the situation to further increase cassava prices on the market.

Some cassava sellers who spoke to Pulse.com.gh indicated that it has become a waste of time and resources moving from village to village and town to town in search of cassava to sell since the commodity is so scarce.

The situation has compelled traders in the Brong ahafo and surrounding villages such as Ampoma, Amoma, Anyima and Suamere know for the best quality of cassava  to inflate the prices of the little cassava that are available for sale.

“I use to buy a bag of cassava from Ampoma for as low as GHc 20 but it  is now expensive and I now buy the same bag at GHc 100 so I have to inflate it in order to make profit,” Maame 5 told Pulse.com.gh  in an interview.

“Before you can get just one bag of cassava, you have to reach Agbogbloshie market as early as 2am. You should have the strength to climb the truck that brings the cassava and also to struggle with others over the tubers, because the traders are more than the bags of cassavas that are brought to the market,” another  cassava seller at Lapaz market in Accra recounted.

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This scarcity has been largely blamed on the weather  pattern. The rains have not been favorable affecting the tuber which used to be the cheapest product on the market.  Transport hikes in transportation fares is also another factor.

“I also consider the cost of transport fares when pricing,” another cassava seller at the Madina market said.

The sad thing is the little cassava one is able to buy is not wholesome after cooking in many instances.

At this point fufu lovers will have to keep their fingers crossed and hope the weather is favorable the next cassava season.

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