Yam farmers at Atebubu-Amantin in the Brong Ahafo Region are worried about the low pricing for their produce.
The Atebubu Yam Market is one of the biggest yam markets in the Brong Ahafo Region. It receives averagely 700 farmers weekly.
According to the farmers, they had a good harvest this year, but pricing has become a major problem. They revealed that 100 tubers of yam which was sold between 800 cedis to 1,000 cedis in 2017, are currently being sold between 70 cedis and 100 cedis.
Nicolas Kouwi Yabaki, a yam farmer who spoke to Citi News said they are getting low prices for their produce.
“We are getting low prices for our produce compared to the previous years. This year is bad and and we don’t know why” Yabaki lamented.
Another farmer, Grace Konadu, said, “The buyers are not coming to buy our yams. During the previous year we had many buyers here but things have changed.”
Apart from this challenge, the Yam Market is not in a good state though each farmer pays 4 cedis per 100 tubers to the Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Assembly.
The Yam Market becomes muddy, especially during the rainy season, and this makes accessibility difficult.
Wisdom Sey Ngigma, the Treasurer of the Peace Farmers Association thus called on the Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Assembly to give the yam market a face-lift.
“The place becomes muddy the big trucks that normally come here always get stuck. We are urging the Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Assembly to give a face-lift to the place,” Mr. Ngigma appealed.
Mr. Ngigma noted that the next farming season would be very difficult for the farmers if the trend continues because they cannot buy farm inputs.
Efforts to speak to the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Edward Owusu on what the Municipal Assembly is going to do about the state of the Yam Market were unsuccessful.
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By: Michael Sarpong Mfum/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
