Representative of Ghana’s onion vendors, Yakubu Apendiba, has revealed that 55 onion trucks that were stuck in Benin have successfully returned to Ghana due to the involvement of the Ghanaian ambassador in Benin.
He explained that around 44 truckloads of onions spoiled as a result of the delay caused by the border closure in Niger, preventing the trucks from reaching Ghana within the expected timeframe.
On August 9, 2023, traders stuck at the Benin border appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assistance in securing the release of 70 trucks loaded with onions from Niger to Ghana, passing through the Benin border.
In an interview with Citi FM, the spokesperson for the onion sellers indicated that since most of the onions have gone bad, they are relying on those from Nigeria which does not last longer compared to the one from Niger.
“The Ghana ambassador to Benin went there and spoke to the patrol, and they opened it for just two hours and closed it again and this is affecting our business because the onions are rotten.
“About 55 cars have come within the last three days all being forty-footer trucks and all went bad, and so we are now doing the local ones and getting it from Nigeria, but that one doesn’t last,” he said.
Yakubu Apendiba further noted that the price of onion has reduced slightly because they are procured from Nigeria.
“As we started going to Nigeria to bring the Nigeria one, the price has gone down a little bit. We were selling a bag last week for between GHC1,600 and GHC1,500, but now we are selling a bag between GHC1,300 and GHC1,200.
“Sourcing from Niger is expensive compared to the one that we buy from Nigeria because if you go to buy in Niger, you will not get any place to pass and come to Ghana. All our cars in Niger have all come back to Ghana and nobody is there, and the onions have all rotten,” he added.