Okra glut leaves sellers at Wa Central Market counting losses

Okra sellers at the Wa Central Market in the Upper West Region are appealing for urgent measures to address the glut of okra on the market, which they say is leaving them with significant losses.

The traders said they are struggling to sell their produce due to the excess supply, forcing them to dispose of large quantities of unsold okra as garbage.

One of the sellers said the situation had become frustrating, as produce that could have generated income was instead going to waste.

“We are unable to sell it and we dispose of it as garbage,” the trader said.
Another seller pointed to a full sack of unsold okra and said the produce would have to be discarded because she had been unable to find buyers.

“This sack is full and we will dispose it because we couldn’t sell it,” she said.
The traders attributed their losses to the glut and called for alternative markets to absorb the excess production.

They particularly appealed to exporters and processors to come to their aid by purchasing the surplus okra for processing and other value-added activities.

The sellers said such interventions could help reduce post-harvest losses while providing them with a market for their produce.

They are therefore urging relevant authorities and private sector actors to facilitate linkages between local okra producers and potential buyers, particularly exporters and processing companies.