Ghana's onion market

Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana, International Food Policy Research Institute, Sena Amewu, Eunice Arhin, Jane Danso, Roland Ato Doughan, Christiana Nafrah, Ivy Owusu and Karl Pauw

No 5, Other briefs from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Abstract: Onion is a common vegetable crop used globally as seasoning and for medicinal purposes (van der Meer 1997; Cheema et al. 2003). The bulb is also used widely in Ghana in the preparation of stews and soups, accounting for around one-fifth of vegetable expenditure by households (van Asselt et al. 2018). Despite being widely consumed, onion production in Ghana falls well short of demand with imports coming in from neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso even during the peak local production season. Although trade statistics are notoriously weak, some estimates suggest as much as 80 to 90 percent of onion in the local market is imported. The two main varieties cultivated in Ghana are Bawku Red and Galmi. Major production challenges include varietal issues, the seasonal nature of production, and high post-harvest losses. The importance of onion and the significant potential for growth in the subsector has long since been recognized, and the crop was one of the first to be prioritized under Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program.

Keywords: onions; food production; domestic trade; markets; trade; food consumption; food prices; international trade; Ghana; Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Western Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fpr:othbrf:134143

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