Suhum: market women expresses worry over increasing rate of prices of goods

Prices of fruits, Cassava, Tomatoes, Yam, Maize, fish and other vagetables have generally rise up in the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region.

A visit to the Suhum Market revealed that prices of most food stuffs are increasingly high for consumers to  buy. 

While some of the traders are blaming the government about the situation, others are also attributing it to the increase in the prices of petroleum products and the subsequent increase in the cost of goods and services.

A trader, Madam Serwaa who sells cassava and plantain  seller in the market said that, the prices of plantain and vegetables which are not in season are generally high and is not their fault.

This is because, some food items were in scarce, and the high demand had affected their prices in the market.

She said, a medium-sized bulb of cabbage, which was sold at GH₵5.00 last month, is now selling at GH₵7.00 while prices of tomatoes and garden eggs have also shot up.

Market women said a bowl of tomatoes which used to sell at GH₵20.00 is now selling at GH₵35.00 while garden eggs of the same quantity are selling at GH₵20.00.

They said the change in price increases has affected the purchasing power of most people and hence had slowed down business and trading activities in the market.

Customers barely come around to purchase foodstuffs because there is no money in the system, which is why the market has been slow, the women lament. 

However, some of the market women also fish sellers, blamed the increases on the frequent increment in fuel prices which had affected the transportation of the food items to the marketing centers.

They said the increases in the prices of fish and others had affected the consumption patterns of most Ghanaians who were supposed to take in adequate vegetables food items.

They stressed the need for the government to encourage the local cultivation of such products to make them easily available in the country.