Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has attributed the sharp rise in ginger prices across the country to a widespread crop disease affecting farmers.

According to him, many ginger farmers have been battling a condition commonly known as ginger blight, which has destroyed significant portions of their farms over the past two years.

“There’s a strange ginger disease that has come and, for the last two years, it has affected most of the ginger farmers. So that’s how ginger has become so expensive,” he explained.

He noted that the disease has drastically reduced harvest yields, leaving farmers with far smaller quantities of ginger to sell compared to previous years.

“Most of the farmers, when they harvest, they get very little produce. Ginger that we used to sell one sack for about 300 to 400 is now about 3,000 to 3,500 for the same sack, same weight, everything, because of the disease,” he said.

The Deputy Minister stressed that the price surge is not due to exploitation by traders or farmers, but rather the limited supply caused by the crop losses.

“So it’s not like the market women or the farmers are exploiting us. No, no,” he clarified.

Dumelo further revealed that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is actively working to identify an effective treatment to curb the disease and restore production levels.

“But we, as the Ministry, are looking for an antidote for that disease. That might take some time, but I can assure you that we are working around the clock to battle that disease so that ginger production continues and the price comes down,” he assured.

He also advised prospective farmers to hold off on venturing into ginger farming for now, warning that the current outbreak makes it a risky investment.

“This is not the right time to go into ginger farming because of the disease. Hopefully, by the end of this year, we will find the right product to use against the disease,” he added.

Ginger prices in Ghana have surged dramatically, with a 114.4% year-on-year increase recorded as of early 2025, making it the most inflated food item in the country.

This sharp rise has pushed retail prices to between GH¢120.83 and GH¢172.89 per kilogram in major cities such as Accra and Kumasi, forcing many vendors and households to cut back on usage or switch to processed alternatives.

The spike has been driven by several factors, including heightened demand during “Ghana Month” in March for traditional dishes and beverages, as well as bulk purchasing by traditional medicine producers who often outbid local traders at the farm gate.

Rising production costs, the role of intermediaries within the supply chain, and seasonal scarcity—particularly between April and July—have further worsened the situation.

Market traders have expressed deep concern, noting that quantities previously sold for GHS 5 now go for GHS 10, while larger bundles have seen their prices double.