Onion farmers in Kwahu Kotoso (Kwahu East District) and Kwahu Pitiku (Kwahu South Municipality) in the Eastern Region are appealing to President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Agriculture to regulate the influx of foreign onions into the Ghanaian market.
The farmers say imports from Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other neighbouring countries have created unfair competition, making it difficult for local produce to attract buyers.
Speaking to Adom News, they revealed that the current season has been highly successful, yielding a bumper harvest capable of meeting national demand. However, traders and consumers are opting for cheaper imported onions, leaving large quantities of local produce unsold.
“Our main challenge is the lack of a ready market for the onions we have invested so much to cultivate. Many of us depend on bank loans for farming, and we risk losing everything if these onions are not sold,” one farmer said.
They are urging the government, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, to implement measures to control onion imports, especially during peak harvest periods, to protect local farmers.
Farmers and buyers alike emphasized that such intervention would not only safeguard livelihoods but also help sustain onion farming as a viable business, make agriculture attractive to the youth, and contribute to efforts to reduce unemployment.
Source: Akwasi Dwamena
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