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Fufu is undoubtedly one famous delicacy in Ghana. Many people love love love this meal!
Even though some eat yam fufu, and riped plantain fufu etc we all know there is no “proper” fufu without cassava.
You need your cassava and plantain or Cassava with cocoyam if you want to have authentic fufu.
But this integral ingredient in fufu has become very expensive many are having to forgo their favorite meal or cut down on the frequency with which they eat it.
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Cassava and plantain are two of the most expensive items on the market now. To prepare one serving of fufu, you will now need two small pieces of cassava which goes for GHC 5 and two small fingers of plantain also selling for GHC 5. That is how bad things are.
A shortage of the 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 .
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.
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.