The president of the Concerned Cocoa Farmers Association, the Farmer-General, Nana Obodie Boateng Bonsu has raised concerns about the role Ghana’s Standard Authority plays in the pricing of food items in the country.

According to the farmer, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) does not play any role in the pricing of food, let alone ensure standards in the food churned out by farmers at the farm gates across the country.

He argued that if there were to be some form of standards in the sector the price of food items will not be spiraling like it is today.

Because there are no standards, every farmer prices his or her item the way he or she likes, he worriedly noted, adding that this has created a free-for-all space in the sector.

This state of affairs is not helping in ensuring stable prices for food in the country, he said.  

He denied the notion that food was scarce in the country.

Food is in abundance but the rising cost is due to the middlemen at the farm gates all because there are no standards in the pricing of food at the farm gate.

He raised this concern about the lack of standards in the sector while discussing the issues of food scarcity in the country as well as the high cost of food items on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Mr Emmanuel Quarshie on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

“I don’t know what Ghana Standards Authority is doing. We don’t use kilos and grams in the sale of food items in this country,” be bemoaned.

Go to neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, there is a scaling system which is used to measure food items at the farm gate, he stressed.

This he explained has over the years ensured stable prices for every commodity in those two countries.

He called for a working food distribution chain company like the defunct Ghana Food Distribution Corporation, adding that this will help solve the problems of the high cost of food.

He explained that many factors contribute to the high cost of food in the markets, adding the bad nature of roads from the farm gate to the nearest market is also a major challenge.

Also he said, “transportation is also a major factor when it comes to the cost of food, especially in the wake of petroleum price hikes.” 

He admonished “if we continue this way, we will be going in circles all the time,” noting that those that are to ensure the work is done are not working.

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