Traders in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have attributed the marginal price increase of foodstuffs and other commodities to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the festive season.

According to the traders, the prices of foodstuffs started increasing as a result of COVID-19 and has since not changed much even in the yuletide.

A visit to the Takoradi market circle by the Ghana News Agency indicated that prices of many commodities had marginally increased while some foodstuffs remained stable.

Meanwhile, vegetables like carrots, onions, green pepper, cabbage, lettuce had a lot of demand as people were busily buying them.

Food stuffs such as rice, flour, oil and tomato paste as well as spices were also in height demand.

Before COVID-19, a 5kg bag of fortune rice was sold between GH¢25.00 and GH¢30.00, but was now being sold between GH¢30.00 and GH¢40.00.

The price of five sizable tubers of Cassava, which was sold for GH¢2.00 now goes for GH¢5.00, with three fingers of plantain moving from GH¢2.00 to GH¢5.00.

Five pieces of fresh tomatoes, which was sold for GH¢2.00 is now GH¢5.00, while three sizable fresh fish was between GH¢5.00 and 10.00 now going for GH¢7.00 and above with one smoked Tuna fish going from GH¢15.00 to GH¢18.00

A quantity of smoked herring was between GH¢2.00 and GH¢3.00 is now being sold for GH¢5.00.
A crate of egg between GH¢18.00 and 20.00 is now GH¢23.00 and GH¢26.00.

Three small sizes of Tilapia that sold between GH¢15.00 and 20.00 now goes for between GH¢20.00 and GH¢30.00, while three big sizes of Tilapia which was sold between GH¢30.00 and GH¢45.00 was now going for GH¢50.00.

A tuber of yam was sold for GH¢8.00 and is now going for 15.00 with a Max bag of maize moving from GH¢100 to GH¢130.00.

Mrs. Rebecca Beecham, a shopper, lamented about the price increases and blamed COVID-19 for the trade effects.

Some traders prayed that sales would shoot up in the coming days as the Christmas season inched in.

Meanwhile Banks and other institutions have decorated their premises with Christmas colours of red and green.

Pavements and walls are also being white washed with gutters and lorry parks cleaned all in wait for the end of year activities.