KUMASI 'PFJ MARKET OPENS AS PLANTAIN ARRIVES AFTER 6PM

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The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has upscaled its pilot ‘PFJ Market’ to the Ashanti region with day one of the Kumasi event fraught with some serious challenges. 

The main farm produce to serve the patrons, plantain, rather were brought to Kumasi after 6pm instead of the advertised 9.30am on Thursday, November 24, 2022 but organizers who have admitted to the problem,  have however assured of making amends in subsequent editions while the plantain goes on sale today, Friday at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi.

The expansion of the ‘PFJ Market’ from the national capital to Kumasi in the Ashanti region, the first beneficiary region apart from Greater Accra following the relative success and high patronage it has received so far.

The Ashanti version, held at the Jubilee Park, formerly Jackson’s Park, was scheduled to start at 9.30am on yesterday, Thursday November 24, 2022 and opened to any interested person.

 Even though, a handful of the interested residents had thronged the improvised market center by 8am from various parts of the Ashanti region, it was until midday before some of the anticipated and advertised produce would be made available. Among the food items that were supposed be up for sale were cassava, yam, plantain, assorted fish-fresh and smoked-different vegetables and locally produced rice. 

But, to the disappointment of some of the patrons, even at the late start of the sales, only few assorted vegetables and local rice were available and at prices they expected to be relatively lower than on the open market.

Nonetheless, almost all the vegetables that were available were sold out with just a handful of the pickup load of the local rice patronized. 

A pick-up load of locally produced rice at the improvised market
Some of the patrons spoke to 'Ashanti Today' about the why they came all the way to buy and what the prices compared with what pertains on the open market.

There others who left the sales point in disappointment because according to them, the pilot market did not meet their expectations.

 What appeared more disappointing to most of the patrons was the non availability of their preferred items especially yam, plantain and cassava which had still not been brought as at 2pm despite the numerous assurance by the organizers. 

The Ashanti Regional Director of Agriculture, Reverend John Manu, shared in the disappointment of the patrons and assured that the initiative will continue until the end of the year with much improvement.

The Regional Agric Director explained that the initiative is to force a reduction in the prices of food items on the open market.


The truck-load of plantain carted from Agogo in the Asante Akyem North district of Ashanti which was said to have set off at 9am for sale to members of the public, eventually came in after 6pm and kept safe at the regional offices of Agriculture to be sold out today,  Friday November 25, 2022 at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi

              

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