Correspondence from Upper East Region

There are two types of garlic sold on the Bolgatanga market. They are the agric garlic and the organic one.

The agric garlic has bigger cloves than the organic one. Also, the agric garlic looks white while the organic one has this reddish covering.

The organically grown one though new on the market, was beginning to gain recognition on the market.

Apart from the nutritional value of the vegetable, most people have come to realize that it has some medicinal and healing qualities.

While some chew it to cure various health conditions, others use them to cure swollen feet by grinding them and smearing on the affected area.

For some time now however the organically grown garlic has been conspicuously missing on the Bolga market.

According to the traders, they used to get their supplies from Ouagadougou, but the cars that used to bring them no longer came around.

GhanaWeb's Sarah Dubure engaged some traders who traded in the vegetable to get more insight.

Madam Irene noted that they used to get their supplies from their onion suppliers from Ouagadougou.

"The onion sellers from Ouaga who used to bring us onions were the same people who brought the local garlic to their customers to sell," she said.

She however, noted that since the rampant attacks on them on the road, they stopped plying the Bolga road.

"You know since these people started attacking them on the road and burning their things, they load and bring to sell, they have stopped coming," she indicated.

She noted that for safety, they no longer came to Bolga. Madam Irene disclosed that they now transported their goods to Tamale instead.

"They now pass through a certain road which takes them to Tamale. They send their onions there, and then bring them to Bolga from Tamale". She indicated.

She added that they then transported their produce from Tamale which made everything expensive because whenever they brought them, they added the cost of fuel.

Madam Tina, a vegetable seller pointed that, though they stopped getting supplies for months, customers still kept coming to ask for the garlic.

She noted that they would be happy if they got supplies so that they would be able to supply their customers.

"People have been coming to ask but we keep always telling them that it is no longer there. We will be happy if we get some so that we will continue to sell to our customers," she pointed.

Another trader, madam Adukuma, noted that the vegetable came on the market not long ago.

She sadly added that it was beginning to gain recognition among customers when their suppliers stopped supplying.

"You know it was just a few people who knew about it. We were yet introducing them to it when they stopped bringing them". She revealed.

To her, just few people knew about it before it faded off the market.

A sexagenarian, madam Florence who had come to buy the garlic but could not get some felt disappointed.

She noted that it was very potent for the treatment of swollen feet. According to her, she used it some time ago and saw results.

Just like Oliver Twist, the consumers have tried the locally grown garlic and keep asking the traders for more.

It is the hope of traders and consumers that the vegetable will find its way back to the market and maybe, gain much recognition than it did.