The market price of plantain has sharply increased in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.

Traders at the Nana Bosoma market and other satellite markets have attributed the price hike to the delay in the major rains season.

JoyNews gathered that a bunch of plantains sold at ¢50 in May is currently selling between ¢80 and ¢100 at the Nana Bosoma market.

A trader, Adwoa Attaa Agyei-Boafo, said customers have complained about the price hikes, but traders had no other option.

She indicated that they usually buy the plantain from farm gates at exorbitant prices, saying “farmers are now determining the market price of the produce”.

But, another trader at the same market, Anarfi Agyemang, expressed hope that the onset of the rains will cause the price of plantain to reduce in the coming months.

“Now that the rains have set in, there is a possibility of fall in the price of plantain by September”, she said.

Meanwhile, prices of rice, cooking oil and other imported consumables at the Nana Bosoma market and the Central Business District (CBD) has remained stable for some weeks now.

However, a shop attendant, Yaw Boakye, indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the import and supply of rice and cooking oil.

He added, “my fear is that market prices of the items could escalate if the situation remained the same and this will be a disaster for all of us”.