Coronavirus: Demand for ginger soars in Europe as Ghana remains quiet on supply

As the novel coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 presented lucrative prospects for ginger farmers and suppliers across the globe, ginger farmers and traders in Ghana are risking opportunities to cash in on the situation. Though producer prices of ginger have increased across major ginger production areas in Ghana with the price for a 1 kilo rising sharply from US$0.16 to US $3.83 (as packed and ready for export) between 2019 and 2021, there is little enthusiasm from dealers in Ghana to meet current global demands. China is the largest ginger grower on the global market and has seen the demand for the product increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Heavy rainfalls in the last quarter of 2020 in that country has also resulted in a large part of the old harvest being lost. The first ginger harvest which started in China in November last year and has ended, has also placed pressure on other producers like Peru, Brazil and Thailand to meet the growing demands. Prices currently ...