Auntie Kyeraa, the Public Relations Officer of the Plantain Sellers Association at the Agbogbloshie Market, has attributed the rising cost of plantain to the reduction in available farmlands for cultivation.
In an interview with Onuonline, she explained, “The price of plantain is skyrocketing because farmlands have been repurposed for mining (galamsey).”
“Also, the youth are not involved in farming as compared to the previous years and the aged are not able to do more,” she added.
Charity Etornam a plantain seller who goes to Sehwi for bulk purchase and sells to retailers at Agbogbloshie market said, “plantain is in short supply and the prices are not significantly reduced because even at the farm gate it is expensive”.
For her part, Akosua Esther, also a retailer, noted that “the prices are reducing gradually because of the ‘apem’ (a variety of plantain). I sold one hundred and fifty thousand two months ago. I will sell it like one hundred cedis and eighty cedis, but from next month going, the prices will be significantly reduced.”
