Cassava shortage forces price hike

A shortage of cassava has been reported across the country prompting a sharp rise in the price of the commodity and local delicacy fufu, which is prepared from cassava.

The Ashanti Region is said to be the hardest hit, with residents and local eateries complaining about the hike in the price of cassava and plantain as a result of the shortage.

Class News’ Hafiz Tijani spoke with one traditional restaurateur Thursday April 7, who said cassava had become so scarce that the price of a sack had shot up to GHS100.

She added, however, that most of the tubers were unwholesome, leaving them with very little cassava to use for fufu, a popular staple made from boiled cassava and plantain dough. Further, according to her, a prevailing scarcity of plantain had sent fufu prices through the roof.

Patrons who spoke with Hafiz said a palm-sized ball of fufu is now retailed for a minimum GHS2, and they needed to buy about GHS5 to be satisfied.

Some said they had had to switch to ‘kokonte’, a meal prepared from dried cassava regarded as a substitute for fufu, in order not to spend excessively on food.