The local cabbage industry in Ghana could be on the verge of collapse as a result of low recognition of cabbage farmers by the government. 

A 70-year-old cabbage and lettuce farmer in the Greater Accra region Baba Haamidu who has been in the business for over twenty-five years says farmers like himself have been left to their fate, and are at the mercies of foreign competition. 

Speaking with Joy Business during a visit to his farm, Haamidu said the manual form of cultivating the vegetables does not give room for him to make enough money.

“They have a machine which can irrigate their crops and tractors which make their work easy. We use manpower and that can’t get us enough. The little I make is from hand to mouth” he lamented.

Baba Hamidu further revealed that chemicals used for growing the vegetables are very expensive hence, the need for government to provide subsidies to cabbage farmers like himself.

“I don’t get chemicals from the government. If the government helps me with chemicals, it could help me produce more and farming won’t be more difficult.”

He debunked rumours that filthy water from gutters is used to irrigate the crops. He said it is not rational to contaminate the crops he feeds his family with.

“We don’t use gutter water, I also eat the cabbage I grow. The rumour about gutter water is out of place. Why would I use gutter water to serve Ghanaians?” He asked’.

A prospective cabbage farmer Abdullah, also lamented how some market women purchase vegetables from the farm at a very low cost though so much has been spent on before harvesting.

“When they come here, they buy the cabbage at a low price. It might be on the market for 3 or 4 cedis but they buy it from here at 50pesewas or 1cedi,” Abdullah noted.

He further urged the government to focus on the cabbage industry to attract prospective cabbage farmers to produce more. This he said will reduce the massive import of cabbage into the country.

“The government needs to support this business to make it more attractive instead of importing into the country.  I believe if the government helps cabbage and lettuce farmers, it will attract young people to involve themselves in the business,” he said.

Meanwhile, checks by JoyBusiness show little or no documentation on the performance of the untapped cabbage industry - a development which questions the country’s desire to revive the already dying industry.

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