Yam farmers in the Krachi East Municipality are facing one of their toughest seasons in years, as farmgate prices have crashed to historic lows, pushing many into financial distress.
According to local farmers, including Mr. Osman Tamimu and Mr. Sumaila Seidu, a hundred tubers of yam now fetch just GH¢400, compared to over GH¢6,000 in previous seasons.
This represents more than a 90% drop in income, making it nearly impossible to recover production costs for seed, fertilizer, labour, and transportation.
“This year has been devastating,” Mr. Tamimu said. “We are working hard but earning next to nothing. If this continues, many of us will have no choice but to stop farming.”
However, some agricultural experts have attributed the price collapse to a combination of factors, including poor market linkages, oversupply during peak harvest, high transportation costs, and limited storage facilities that force farmers to sell at low prices before produce spoils.
The crisis threatens to push many farmers out of business, with ripple effects on local food security, employment, and the regional economy, as yam cultivation is a major livelihood activity in Krachi East.
Farmers are calling on the government and agricultural stakeholders to implement urgent measures, including; market infrastructure development to reduce post-harvest losses, price stabilization mechanisms to protect farmers from extreme price swings and improved access to storage and processing facilities to extend the shelf life of yams.
Without intervention, farmers warn that production will decline in the coming years, jeopardizing Ghana’s position as one of the world’s leading yam exporters.
