Traders at the Tema Community One Market have attributed the recent surge in yam prices to changing weather patterns, which have negatively impacted the harvest. Prices for yams have sharply increased, with small tubers now selling between GH₵25 and GH₵40, while medium-sized yams are priced between GH₵60 and GH₵80.

According to the traders, insufficient rainfall during the farming season has led to a poor harvest, resulting in a scarcity of yams on the market. Mrs. Grace Appiah, a yam trader, emphasized that the shortage is largely due to the irregular rainfall. “There would have been an abundance of yam if it had rained properly. It is because of the poor rains that we do not have enough yam. I believe in the coming months we will have yam in abundance,” she stated.

In addition to the weather-related challenges, traders pointed out that higher transportation costs, driven by increased fuel prices, have also contributed to the rising prices. Ms. Beatrice Asante, another yam seller, explained that the rising costs of farming inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, have significantly increased the expenses for farmers, further driving up prices. “We are not responsible for the high price of yams. The farmers are facing high production costs due to expensive farming inputs, which is driving up the price. We only add a small margin for profit,” she noted.

Ms. Mariam Ishawu, another trader, highlighted that rising labor costs have added to the burden on farmers. “The increased expense of farming inputs, coupled with the need to hire additional labor, has made it more costly for farmers to produce yams,” she said. She added that this is not the first year they have faced challenges in acquiring yam.

The impact of the high prices is also being felt by vendors, such as Ms. Alberta Sowah, who has temporarily switched to selling fried potatoes instead of yam due to the high cost of the tuber.