Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has intimated that even though the high cost of fuel has contributed to food price hikes recently, prices in urban centres, particularly Accra, are over exaggerated.
The situation, he said, is creating the impression that food has become inaccessible in the country, which is not true.
The Minister, in responding to questions on the Floor of parliament said: “Food accessibility in Ghana is also more than satisfactory. In recent times, price hikes of food commodities in the urban centres particular Accra, is creating an erroneous impression that food has become inaccessible.
I have just returned from a tour of regions in the southern belt of the country and I can assure you that prices in the urbans centres particularly Accra, are a far cry from what obtains in particular production centres in the regions.
Many attribute the high increases to the cost of fuel and transportation. Whereas this may be true to some extend, our analysis at the ministry review that it is over exaggerated.”
He further added that his ministry, in a bid to manage the situation, is arranging to transport food from production centres directly to Accra.
The move, he noted, will provide food at reasonable prices to the public and workers in the area.
Meanwhile, latest figures from the Ghana Statistical Service show inflation for October is more than 40 percent, a case which is largely driven by food and transportation prices.
