Ghanaian onion traders who have been stranded at the Benin border for an extended period have appealed to president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene and secure the release of approximately 70 trucks carrying onions from Niger to Ghana (via Benin). As a consequence of the border closure arising from the Niger coup, these trucks and their drivers have been stranded at the border for several weeks.
Additionally, the Ranking Member on the Food and Agriculture Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, criticized the Ghanaian government for importing vegetables that were supposed to be produced under the Planting for Food and Jobs program: "It is obvious that we are not able to produce enough onions in Ghana to meet the demand here. So, we import a lot of onions from Niger. We spend over $100 million annually to import onions and ginger to support local production. The coup in Niger and the subsequent closure of the borders are seriously affecting the traders."
The prices of vegetables have seen large increases due to the political unrest in Niger, with bags of vegetables now ranging between GHC1,500 and GHC1,600. Industry players fear that the prices could rise to GHC3,000-GHC4,000 if the situation is not quickly resolved.
[ GHC10 = €0.81 ]
Source: modernghana.com