Josiah
Hundreds of tomato traders in Accra Central have protested against what they describe as an unfair reduction in the size of wooden crates used for packaging tomatoes.
The traders, primarily women, claim that the reduction in crate size, coupled with recent price hikes, is threatening their livelihoods.
They argue that the smaller crates contain fewer tomatoes, yet the prices remain the same, making it difficult for them to turn a profit.
“We are already struggling to make ends meet due to the high cost of tomatoes,” said Ama Adjei, a trader. “Now, with the smaller crates, we are being forced to buy more crates to meet our demand, which is increasing our costs. This is unsustainable for our businesses.”
The traders are demanding that farmers and suppliers revert to the original crate sizes or adjust prices to reflect the reduced quantity of tomatoes in each crate.
They are also calling on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Standards Authority to intervene and regulate the industry to prevent exploitation.
The peaceful protest caused a temporary disruption to traffic in the area and left buyers stranded, but police were present to ensure order.
