Consumers of ginger products in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region are worried over the daily increment of the product at the business centre.
They say the price increment of the product is compelling some of them to resort to alternatives.
Zingiber officinale, as its scientific name, is now selling at Ghc600.00 per bag, from the initial Ghc300 within the same period last year.
Speaking to A1radioonline.com, some of the consumers who could not fathom the quick increment suggested that it could be as a result of the increment in petroleum products and its attendant effects on transport fares. Ginger is usually purchased from Techiman in the Bono East Region of Ghana to the Bolgatanga business centre.
Lydia, a food vendor noted that she used to spend Ghc100.00 on ginger to season her cooking but now she spends twice that amount.
Rebecca, a consumer also noted that due to the price increase, she has limited the usage of ginger.
“Hmm, how I used to add ginger to my cooking has been limited. I only use it when it is needed if not, I don’t waste it”, she added.
But the price increment, Rita Atiah, a trader said has brought down its patronage in the market and as a result, slowed her business down.
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She said “you know, the lower the price, the higher the demand. And mind you that one doesn’t need to add ginger to one’s cooking. So, if you can’t afford it you don’t force yourself. Business is down because I can’t finish selling a bag a day like I used to.”
But ginger according to diet.com has antioxidants, compounds that prevent stress and damage to one’s body’s DNA.
Such compounds help one’s body fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy ageing.
Asking whether farmers can take advantage of the price to farm ginger in the region, Upper East Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Francis Ennor said, farming ginger here will need a lot of water “…and looking at the weather pattern here, I doubted if the root crop will do well in the region.”
He added “I haven’t seen farmers trying it here but they can try it, especially the dry season farmers. You know farming ginger needs a lot of water, so I doubt how well it can grow. But farmers can try.”
A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
