By: Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
Chairman of the Progressive Onions Sellers Association, Alhaji Sumaila Idi Zan Zeh has stated that, for sometime now, majority of the onions they sell are brought in from neighbouring countries like Niger, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
“We get our onions from Niger and Nigeria. Due to low rainfall and poor irrigation systems up in the North of Ghana, we don’t have enough onions being produced in the country”, he said.
Alhaji Zan Zeh made this revelation during a tour of the onion market by GBCGHANAONLINE.
He said a bag of onions sell at GH¢700 – GH¢800 and it is due to the fact that their onions are brought from outside of Ghana.
He called on the government to put in place measures that can aid onion farmers in the country grow and produce more to feed the country.
He also advocated for the extension of the government’s One District One Dam policy to rural areas where onions are grown to aid in their irrigation process.
He added that when these are done, it will reduce the pace at which onions are brought in from neighbouring countries to sell.
On whether their relocation to Kotoku from Agbogbloshie has been helpful, Alhaji Zan Zeh responded in the affirmative saying, it has really been helpful especially with space, storage and the convenience it has brought especially to market women and truck drivers..
He commended government and the Regional Minister for the relocation and appealed to government to help fix the bad roads and stalled market projects.