The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), is predicting food prices will continue to surge in the coming months despite government’s policy intervention.

This follows the increase in inflation for the month of September 2024 to 21.5 percent from 20.4 percent recorded in the month of August 2024.

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) attributed the increase to a rise in food inflation.

Reacting to the development, a former General Secretary, and a member of GAWU, Edward Kareweh said consumers should prepare for more price hikes in foodstuff due to the current challenges facing farmers.

He pointed out for example that the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) and the dry spell will push will be major factors, pushing food inflation up in the coming days.

“This year 2024, we are not going to have any significant increase in food production in the country. If total output is going to fall, it will push food inflation up. From now till December and in the early part of 2025, we should expect food inflation to push the national inflation up” he warned.

He is of the view that even though government has announced a number of measures to mitigate the impact, the interventions will not achieve much if galamsey is allowed to continue.

Mr. Kareweh observed that the destruction of water bodies and farmlands is a major setback to food security in the near future.

He cautioned that prices of basic foodstuffs will continue to surge if measures are not heightened to stop galamsey.

Food inflation

The year-on-year inflation for September 2024 has increased to 21.5 per cent from 20.4 recorded in August 2024.

The GSS attributed the increase to a rise in food inflation.

Food inflation surged to 22.1 per cent from 19.1 in August 2024.

However, non-food inflation declined to 20.9 per cent from 21.5 per cent in August 2024.

Before the current increase, inflation had gone down for five consecutive months.

The report revealed that inflation on locally produced items and imported items increased.