A section of palm oil sellers in some markets in Accra, are contemplating stopping business due to low patronage of the commodity.
The decision, according to them, had become necessary because the business was no longer booming since the news of the adulteration of palm oil broke out.
They said though the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has declared that palm oil was wholesome, the effect of the declaration was yet to be felt.
Madam Kuukua Arthur, at the Agbogloshie Market, who had already closed for the day as at 12:30pm in the afternoon said since last week Thursday, she has not been able to sell even a drum of palm oil which was not the case during the early parts of last year.
Madam Arthur said she had been contemplating abandoning the business which she had been in, for several years.
She said it was her hope to make good business during the festive season since she did not make enough sales two months to the festive season.
Madam Arthur said she used to sell a drum of palm oil within two days but for five days now she cannot sell a drum of the product.
Another trader at the market, Miss Theresa Tamakloe, said the business had been dull since the news of the adulteration.
She said, “I sit by my goods from dawn to dusk without selling half a drum of palm oil, making the business unattractive and not interesting as it used to be.”
Mrs. Victoria Sulley said most of her customers now claimed they did not patronise palm oil anymore, which had affected her business.
She said her customers told her they preferred coconut oil or Frytol to palm oil.
At the Novotel number two market, Madam Rachael, said, the sale of the commodity was nothing to write home about.
She said during the festive season she hardly sold a bottle of palm oil but was hoping for a good business this year.
However Madam Rukaya Timtey also at the market said business had been good for her during the festive season.
“I have sold a lot of bottles of palm oil before, during and after the festive season, business has been good,” the excited trader said.
The traders called on the media and the FDA to sensitise Ghanaians to the safety of palm oil to ensure a booming business.
It will be recalled that some traders at the Kaneshie and Agbogbloshi markets had, earlier, complained about low patronage of the palm oil.
This was after the FDA had certified some barrels of palm oil conveyed from Kade, in the Eastern Region as wholesome.
The traders blamed the adulteration of the product on consumers, saying that some of them disliked palm oil which was yellowish in colour but preferred the reddish oil, which was likely to be adulterated.
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