In a shocking turn of events, okro farmers group in Asuano, a suburb of Nkoranza in the Bono East Region, are lamenting over the low patronage of their okro produce.
Asuano, renowned community in the Bono East Region for its okro farming, is facing a crisis as buyers seem to be cheating them in purchasing the crop.
Okro farming is a common and profitable activity for many smallholder farmers in Ghana. The crop has provided income and food security for smallholder farmers and rural communities. Our market research reveals that on average, farmers can expect to earn a profit of around 5,000-7,000 Ghana cedis ($850-1200 USD) per acre of okra. However, this may vary depending on the season, the location, the quality, and the demand of okra in the market.
Okra is a versatile and nutritious vegetable that is used in various dishes and cuisines in Ghana. While in other parts of the world, this crop is consumed, in the Ghanaian cuisine, okra is cooked, fried, pickled, or dried and added to soups, stews, salads, curries, or stir-fries. It is often used as a thickener, binder, or emulsifier due to its mucilaginous (sticky) juice. Okra is rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, digestion, immunity, and skin health.
In a desperate statement by the leader of the okro farmers, Mr. Isaac Boakye, said in an interview that despite okro farming being a lucrative business, with the crop being rich in nutrients and having economic benefits, the farmers in Asuano are struggling to make ends meet.
"The cheating patronage by the buyers has resulted in a significant decline in sales, leaving us in a state of distress", he said.
He lamented that the soil for growing the crop is so hard that they need to irrigate it before the crop are able to grow.
In addition, the leader bemoaned that farming inputs such as fertilizers, weedicides, pesticides inflates in prices and has made it difficulty in the farming activities.
"We are more than 100 farmers on about 500 acres of the okro farm in the community. We owe some people loans we need to pay, but the low patronage is affecting us", he cried out.
In his appeal, Mr. Boakye called on the government and other stakeholders to intervene and support them in finding solutions to the challenges they are facing.
Some of the farmers also expressed their disatisfaction on the low patronage in the okro business.
"We are really suffering," said one of the okro farmers, blaming the low patronage on various factors, including some customer's self or own prices.
As the situation is still pending, the okro farmers in Asuano are hoping for a swift response to their plight to avoid further losses and ensure the sustainability of their livelihoods.
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