Deputy Agric Minister blames ginger price surge on disease outbreak affecting farms
Deputy Minister for Ministry of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has attributed the sharp increase in ginger prices to a mysterious disease that has severely affected ginger farms across Ghana over the past two years.
Speaking on the situation, Dumelo explained that the outbreak has significantly reduced ginger production nationwide, contributing to the rising cost of the commodity.
“There’s a strange ginger disease that has come and, for the last two years, it has affected most ginger farmers. That is why ginger has become so expensive,” he stated.
According to the Ministry, the disease has caused major declines in yields, creating supply shortages that traders say are becoming increasingly difficult to address.
As a result, traders have turned to imports from countries including China, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Togo to supplement local demand. Historical trade records also show imports from Sri Lanka, India, and the Netherlands.
Data from the Ghana Statistical Service indicates that China accounted for more than 23 percent of Ghana’s total imports in the final quarter of 2025, including agricultural products such as ginger.
Additionally, figures from the United Nations COMTRADE show that Ghana imported approximately US$39,740 worth of ginger, turmeric, saffron, thyme, and related spice products from China in 2023.
The trend highlights Ghana’s increasing dependence on imported ginger despite the crop’s importance to local agriculture, food processing, and traditional medicine.
Economists have linked the situation to broader structural challenges within Ghana’s agricultural sector, including inadequate investment in disease control, post-harvest management, and climate resilience.
Recent trade data also revealed that Ghana’s imports from China reached record levels in late 2025, with monthly imports peaking at about US$437 million in November.
For many consumers, however, the immediate concern remains affordability, as soaring ginger prices continue to impact households, food vendors, restaurants, and spice traders who rely on the commodity for cooking and traditional remedies.
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