There is currently a hike in the price of yam in the Upper East Region, GhanaWeb has learnt.
According to the yam sellers, they have been informed by their suppliers that the hike is due to the high cost of fertilizers, pesticides and increasing fuel prices.
In the Yendi, Kpatinga enclaves of the Northern Region, yams are grown and transported to the Upper East Region and distributed to the yam sellers for sale.
But some of the yam sellers at the Bolgatanga market who spoke to GhanaWeb's Upper East Regional Correspondent, Sarah Dubure bemoaned the high cost of yam selling on the market.
Mr. Musah who is yam seller in the market attributed the hike to high demand which was being exported to others places across the country.
“The only thing that makes yam expensive is the way they are exporting it across and outside the country…so, whenever they export yam, the demand will be definitely high. Even foreigners come all the way to the village to purchase the yam”
Mr Musah indicated that consumers have also complained bitterly about the cost of yam anytime they came to the market to purchase them.
"The consumers are complaining that yam has become expensive and so they rather buy more rice now instead of yam," he told GhanaWeb.
Another yam seller, Madam Amina on her part bemoaned the high cost of yam, especially at the start of this year.
She revealed that last year, yam tubers that were selling at GH¢5 were now being sold to them by their suppliers at a cost of GH¢3.50p. But at the start of this year, yam tubers were being sold to them at cost of GH¢6 which suppliers were selling at a cost of GH¢8.
“For the GH¢5 yam, first they [suppliers] gave them to us for GH¢3.50p and we also bring it here to sell around 6 cedis, but now, you can't get yam at a price like that because now we buy it at the suppliers around GH¢6” Amina revealed.
"When costumers come here to buy yam, they complain about the high price and eventually don’t buy the yam from us and this rather affects us in our market activity making a living difficult for us”
Madam Shetu who is also yam seller in the Bolgatanga market lamented at the hike in prices from the suppliers and expressed that consumers sometimes force them to beat down the price which does not favour them and their sales.
“Some consumers will come and convince you to sell yam which is going at GH¢8 for GH¢6 and this is very difficult because how can you sell it that way when you bought it at a costly price? How do we get your money back? she quizzed.
Prices of yam tubers have increased in the Upper East region