Takoradi, July 23, GNA – Prices of food stuffs and other consumables in the Takoradi market have seen a slight increase, as traders attribute the situation to high transportation cost.
Speaking to the GNA during a visit to the temporary Takoradi market, Madam Veronica Arthur, the Market Queen Association Secretary, said the slight upward adjustment of food stuffs in the market was as a result of high transportation cost, labour, and taxes.
According to her, they got most of their stock from the Northern, Upper East and West, Bono and Greater Accra Regions, thereby making them to incur a lot of transportation cost hence the increment, so that they did not operate at a loss.
She explained that anytime there was price hike in fuel, cost of transportation increased and because of that, they also have to adjust upwards the price of their commodities to be able to make profits or break-even, so that they did not run at a loss.
For her part ,Madam Naana Grace, Queen mother for vegetable sellers and a distributor, cited the instance where one bag of cabbage, which was sold at GH¢150.00 last year, was now being sold at GH¢250.00, while that of carrots sold at GH¢200 last year, was now going for GH¢300.00.
Madam Grace also attributed the price increase of foodstuffs and other commodities to the closure of the borders, since products such as rice, oil, onion, tomatoes among others were mostly imported.
She said since the closure of the borders, local producers of such goods have capitalized on the situation by increasing the prices of their items.
She cited instance where before the closure of the borders a 5kg bag of rice was sold between GH¢27.00 and GH¢28.00, but was now being sold between GH¢32.00 and GH¢35.00, adding that a gallon of oil which was sold at GH¢180 was now GH¢230, while an olonka of onion, which was sold for GH¢10.00 was now going for between GH¢20 and GH¢22.00.
The price of five sizable tubers of Cassava, which was sold for GH¢3.00 was now being sold at GH¢5.00.
The price of plantain have however gone down with a bunch of plantain which was sold for GH¢50, now going for GH¢35.00, with six fingers of plantain moving from GH¢10 to nine fingers for the same GH¢10.00 while the prices of garden eggs and pepper inched up slightly.
Maame Araba Eshun, a tomatoes seller, said four pieces of fresh tomatoes, which was sold for GH¢2.00 is now GH¢5.00, while smoked herring which was GH¢2.00 is now going for GH¢5.00
Three small sizes of Tilapia that sold between GH¢15.00 and 20.00 now goes for between GH¢23.00 and GH¢30.00, while three big sizes of Tilapia which was sold between GH¢30.00 and GH¢45.00 was now being sold for GHC50.00and GHC60.00
A sizeable tuber of yam which was sold for GH¢8.00 and GH¢14 was now going for between 10.00 and GH¢20, with a bag of maize moving from GH¢120 to GH¢150.00.
A pound of goat meat, which was sold at GH¢16.00 is now GH¢22.00 while a pound of beef which was sold for GH¢13.00 is now GH¢16.00.
Madam Peggy, a beans seller, said moving from the old market to the temporary market had affected them.
According to her, many people now preferred to buy their food stuffs at the jubilee park market instead traveling all the way to the temporary market to trade.
She said a bag of beans, which was sold between GH¢540.00 and GH¢580.00 is now going for GH¢850.00 and GH¢ 900.00, while an olonka of beans which was GH¢16.00 and GH¢18.00 is now going for GH¢22.00 and GH¢24.00
GNA