Look for alternatives - Charcoal dealers told

In its efforts to ensure protection, development, management and regulation of Ghana’s forest and wildlife resources, the Forestry Commission (FC) is wooing dealers in charcoal businesses into alternative sources of income.

Director of Climate Change at the FC, Ms Roselyn Fosua Adjei in an interview with Business Finder encouraged charcoal sellers, coal burners and tree fellers to look out for other alternatives, such as vegetable farming, vocational training, dressmaking and soap making to earn some income.

“In the short term, they can engage in these activities to generate revenue for themselves and cater for their families,” she said.

FC proposes wood logs to preserve forests

The FC began a campaign to elicit the support of the private sector, community members, farmers and other government agencies in setting up wood logs to feed the charcoal industry.

The commission noted that the wood logs were established purposely for charcoal production and usually had short rotations unlike the indigenous ones.

It urged all dealers in the charcoal business to go into planting the foreign type of wood logs and resist from going into the forest to cut indigenous species.

Ms Adjei said it would help increase agricultural production and also preserve the forest.

“We will have a resilient landscape if farmers and other private individuals set their lands which are not in use now for wood logs. This would also contribute to the global climate change fight”, she emphasized.

Charcoal sellers lament low sales

Business Finder set out to engage some charcoal dealers in parts of Accra and the feedback was one of gloom.

Mr Duro Muniro with over 30 years’ experience in the charcoal business, told this reporter business had been very slow especially during the pandemic. He indicated that even though sales kept decreasing, prices of the charcoal kept varying at an increasing rate.

“Previously we were buying at GH? 30 and we made lots of profit but now the prices differ depending on where the coal is coming from. Now we buy at GH? 40 and GH? 45. After we sell a sack we only get GH? 2”, Mr Muniro explained.

He disclosed that his basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter were catered for by the sales he made from the charcoal.

“Now I depend solely on charcoal sales. I use the sales I make to provide for my basic necessities. If you aren’t lucky and you don’t get good charcoal you will run at a loss you might even stop the job because what you will get wouldn’t be profitable”, Mr Muniro lamented.

A charcoal seller, Madam Fatiha Alima indicated that before the pandemic, she used to sell two sacks of Charcoal a day however, since the coronavirus surfaced in Ghana, she noted that it took her three days to sell one sack of charcoal.

She lamented that business had not been easy especially during the COVID-19 times as her husband lost her job and she had to care for the children from the sales of the charcoal.

Madam Alima said the business was no more lucrative since the charcoal prices continued to increase and consumers declined purchase.

“Today, a sack is as high as GH? 45. It’s very expensive” she stressed.

Madam Alima pleaded with government to reduce the cost of fuel, adding that the amount charged by the truck drivers was exorbitant since the fuel prices were added to the cost of the charcoal.

Another charcoal seller, Rayinatu Adams told this paper that she had been in the charcoal business for almost 10 years and had never experienced high purchase as compared to the time Accra was about locking down.

"I could sell three to four bags a day during the alarming periods of the virus" she stressed.

"Sometimes business booms and there are days it subsides so I believe that this season is one of those moments" she added.

A charcoal seller within the environs of Gbawe - Mallam, Ms. Elizabeth Tagoe, told this paper that before the lockdown, sales were very good.

She used to sell one bag of charcoal within two days and sometimes could even sell more than a sack of charcoal in a day.

When asked how sales had been after the lockdown, Ms. Tagoe said the purchase of charcoal had reduced.

It took her four days and beyond to sell a bag of charcoal, in the wake of the pandemic.