Great market potential for onions in Ghana

An analysis of the Ghanaian onion market would pave the way for future investments in the commodity value chain. The red onion varieties Bawku and Galmi are the most widely grown varieties in Ghana. Due to the ongoing scarcity of domestic onion supplies and the influx of imports from neighboring countries, appropriate and sustainable horticultural practices can reduce dependence on these imports. As of 2019, onion yields in Ghana were estimated to be around 19 tons/ha (MoFA, 2019). Meanwhile, other sources have estimated that the red cultivar Bawku needs between 10 and 20 tons/ha of land for cultivation. Other cultivars yield 3.7 tons/ha under rainy conditions and 12 tons/ha under irrigation, with an average yield of 3.3 tons/ha (MoFA, 2019). Even during the peak of the Ghanaian onion season, the local onion yield lags far behind the demand in the country. As a result, traders depend on imported onions to keep ...