The only way Ghana can reduce over-reliance on neighbouring African countries for the consumption of vegetables such as tomatoes and onions is through robust irrigation systems to enable all-year-round farming, says the Host of The Ghanaian Farmer TV Show, Enyonam Manye.
According to available statistics, the country imports over 40 per cent of the more than one million metric tonnes of onions produced in Niger.
Ms Manye’s comments came on the back of news reports that truckloads of onions have been locked up at Ghana’s border to the North due to the coup against Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.
In an interview, the Accra Onion Importer Association leader, Sani Abubakar, said the prices of onions are expected to shoot up and lead to scarcity if the situation is controlled.
Currently, a bag of onion is sold between GH¢1300 and GH¢2,500 but previously sold for GH¢1000 while retail prices in various markets for the plastic container are GH₵70 and GH₵80 but was previously sold for GH₵35 and GH₵45.
Interestingly, onions are one of the crops listed under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs policy where serious investment has gone into the sector.
Enyonam, who has been touring the length breadth of Ghana engaging local farmers who share their success stories and challenges indicated that government should prioritise agricultural-technology
“In Niger, they produce one million metric tonnes of onions annually and guess the percentage that Ghana buys from them, almost 43 per cent of that production is bought by Ghanaians,” she said, Joy News morning programme, the AM Show.
Commenting on why the traders prefer foreign onions to the locally-produced ones, she revealed that it’s because “it’s sweet and also it’s not as harsh as the Ghanaian one and most importantly, it produced on time.”
Enyoman Manye blamed the situation on the state’s lack of investment, arguing that most rural farmers cannot afford modern irrigation equipment.
“How do you expect traders who do their businesses throughout the year to do trade with a farmer who does rain-fed farming?
“So stakeholders like government, private institutions and anybody interested in agriculture development, we have to consider investing in technology which includes irrigations. Until we support farmers to have this basic irrigation on their farms, we will continue to see situations like this in Ghana.”
“If the government is saying we have an interest in farming, farming is the backbone of the economy, farming creates one of the biggest jobs in Ghana, and what are you doing? Is it all about talk shops?” She quizzed.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Dr. Charles Nyaaba said the political instability in Niger will affect the supply of onions and other commodities such as livestock to Ghana.
