Hundreds of tomato traders in Accra Central have protested against what they described as an unfair reduction in the size of wooden crates used for boxing tomatoes.
The traders, who are mostly women, claimed that the reduction in crate size, combined with the recent hike in prices, is threatening their livelihoods.
They argued that the smaller crates contain fewer tomatoes, but the prices remain the same, making it difficult for them to make a profit.
“We are already struggling to make ends meet due to the high cost of tomatoes,” a trader, Ama Adjei said.
“Now, with the smaller crates, we are being forced to buy more crates to meet our demand, which is increasing our costs. This is unsustainable for our businesses,” she added
The traders are demanding that the farmers and suppliers revert to the original crate sizes or adjust the prices to reflect the reduced quantity of tomatoes in each crate.
They have also called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Standards Authority to intervene and regulate the industry to prevent exploitation.
The protest, which was peaceful, caused a temporary disruption to traffic in the area and made buyers stranded, but police were present to ensure order.
