Market Queens Blamed for High Egg Prices in Ghana Despite Lower Farm-Gate Costs
- The CEO of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association accused market intermediaries of keeping egg prices high for consumers
- Ali Muhammed revealed that farmers sell a crate of eggs for between GH¢40 and GH¢45, yet consumers pay significantly more
- Muhammed cited incidents at the 2025 AgriFair where traders bought eggs in bulk for resale, forcing organisers to cap purchases
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The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association has pointed the finger at market intermediaries, particularly Market Queens, for the persistently high cost of eggs reaching Ghanaian consumers, despite relatively modest prices at the farm level.
Ali Muhammed, the association's Chief Executive Officer, made the remarks on Channel One TV's Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, arguing that the distribution chain was absorbing gains that should ordinarily benefit ordinary buyers.
Source: Getty Images
Muhammed stated that poultry farmers currently sell a crate of eggs at between GH¢40 and GH¢45, yet consumers in many markets and neighbourhood shops routinely pay more.
He said the gap could not be explained by transportation costs alone.
"What we try to do and explain to the Ghanaian public is that the market intermediaries are actually the ones who are making things expensive. If you look at the egg here, this is a farm-gate price, GH¢40 or GH¢45, and I'm sure in your area, you won't get this egg even at GH¢50," he said.
He also challenged the disconnect between reported inflation figures and prices on the ground. "You say inflation is at 5%, single digits. Yet I go to the market, I go to the convenience shop close to my house. I buy the egg, same price or more. You can't tell me transporting a crate of eggs will cost you GH¢5. It doesn't happen," Muhammed added.
He went further to argue that strong government policy on inflation would struggle to deliver tangible relief to households while intermediary pricing practices remained unchecked. "You may put on the best policies, but if the market queens and the market intermediaries continue to fleece the consumer public, you will never see the impact. That's the whole thing," he said.
Despite the tensions, Muhammed was careful to clarify that farmers were not opposed to traders earning a profit. "We are not saying sell at the same farm-gate price. Certainly, you are in business. But this is our time to also make some. Making a reasonable margin rather than making an abnormal profit. Where's the line that we are defining?" he said.
Source: YEN.com.gh
