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Over a thousand bags of onions have gone to waste at the Adjen Kotoku market due to poor storage conditions and reduced demand. The rotten onions were transported to a nearby dumping site, leaving traders devastated as shelves remained empty and losses mounted.
According to the sellers, this year has been particularly difficult. They blame the situation on the short shelf life of onions and are urging the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, along with relevant authorities, to intervene and find lasting solutions to post-harvest losses affecting onions and other perishable produce in Ghana.
The market was overwhelmed by a foul stench from the decomposing onions. Traders reported that the produce now spoils within a week of arrival, far quicker than in previous years. Alhaji Issaka Zeba, one of the traders, revealed that over a thousand bags of onions are discarded weekly.
“We have incurred huge losses. Just last week, we sent five articulator trucks—each carrying about 350 bags—to the refuse dump,” he lamented.
At the dumping site, several adults and children were seen scavenging the rotten onions, cleaning and reselling them to unsuspecting buyers, raising health concerns.
Another trader, Comfort Boafo, expressed frustration over the poor state of the road leading to the market, which she said discourages buyers. “The road is full of potholes, and people no longer come here to buy. Patronage is low, and our goods keep spoiling. We are pleading with the government to fix the road to boost business,” she said.
The traders’ spokesperson, Yakubu Kpeniba, also appealed for government support, noting that many traders now rely on imported onions because local farmers cannot meet market demand.
“I have been in this business for over 25 years, and this is the worst destruction we have witnessed. The onions are rotting both on farms and at the market. We need help from the Agriculture Ministry to investigate and find a solution,” he stressed.
