Fufu consumption decreases due to high cost of cassava

Some residents of Kumasi in the Ashanti region are complaining bitterly about the unavailability of Cassva, a major ingredient used for preparing fufu, a popular local food.

According to them, the disturbing development has forced some ‘chop bar’ and restaurant operators to increase price of Fufu from one Ghana cedi to five Ghana cedis per plate.

Some of the chop bar operators who spoke to Atinka news explained that the cassava shortage is as a result of poor rainfall and change in weather conditions in the beginning of this year. Aside the shortage, the cassava used in preparing fufu has lost some quality as a result of the changes in weather pattern.

Traders are complaining that a sack of cassava now costs GHC100 when under normal circumstances, it should be GHC40 at most. The worse aspect is that the taste of fufu is distorted due to the poor quality of cassava these days, they said.

“When the cassava is cooked it becomes harder than normal which makes pounding difficult thereby producing lumps in the fufu,” one chop bar operator said.

Atinka news spoke to a local farmer at Barekese in the Ashanti Region, Maame Kyerewaa, who said she had not eaten fufu for the last two months due to the poor quality of cassava.

Maame Kyerewaa said cassava production has reduced in the region in recent times due to weather changes and appealed to government to support cassava farmers with the necessary farming inputs to boost production.