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April 2022

Yam prices in Ghana on a 5-year low

By Stephen Anti

yam on sale

Credit: Ghana News Agency

Prices of yam in Ghana have seen a consistent drop over the past 5 years, although yam has the second highest production levels of any food crop in Ghana over the past 50 years. World Food Program crop prices data for Ghana indicates the steepest drop in the largest cultivation region of Brong Ahafo, occurred between July and August of 2017.
During the period, prices dropped from as high as 1,016 ghc in July to a low of 226 ghc per 100 tubers of yams, which translates averagely to a drop from 10ghc per tuber to about 2ghc over the period.
Markets in the Brong Ahafo regional capital, Techiman have experienced these fluctuations mainly due to challenges of storage losses due to pests, dehydration, sprouting and rot. Majority of farmers also face major transportation challenges of moving the food crop from farms and out-grower areas to the markets (EPAR

Cultivation of the commodity in Ghana is mostly in the Northern and Brong Ahafo regions where majority of farmers use traditional methods of mounds and ridges.The most populous city in Ghana, Accra, over the period also experienced fluctuations that reflect declines in the cultivation regions.

According to a World Food Program crop prices for Ghana, yam prices in the Capital city, Accra peaked in May 2019 rising from 246ghc as of December 2018 to 868ghc per 100 tubers of yam in just under 6 months. This means, the average price paid for a tuber of yam in Accra about 2.50ghc to about 9ghc in under 6months.Ghana became the second largest producer of yams in the world in terms of quantity in 2010, and in terms of value, it has been the second largest producer since 2001. Yam accounts for the largest proportion of production of any crop(EPAR)