A report put together by the Ghana Statistical Service, United Nations Development Programme and GIZ has suggested that 20.9% of agribusiness corporations nationwide have been closed as a result of the 2020 lockdown. The report compared the agribusiness issues in existence before, during and after the partial lockdown from 2019-2021.
Meanwhile, an expected 16,091 businesses representing 11.6% of agribusinesses closed due to the lockdown and still remain closed despite the lifting of restrictions nationwide.
According to the report, the partial lockdown in May last year had a huge negative impact on all 16 regions in Ghana but three regions were most affected. Thus, Volta, Ashanti and the Upper East regions. These regions closed down more than one-fifth of their commercial activities.
In the Ashanti region, 21.2% of agribusiness firms were closed down. However, in the Volta region, 26.9% were closed down and in the Upper East region, 25.5%.
Although the Upper East and Volta region did not experience the partial lockdown they were heavily impacted.
Head of Communications at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Praise Nutakor gave the reason behind this in an interview with TV3 NEWS, monitored by MyGhandaily: “The Upper East and the Volta region are border towns and the lockdown affected the borders of these two regions, so goods could not come through as expected. Another reason for the large impact on these two regions is that, if I get my inputs in Accra and Accra is under lockdown, it affects my business. The regions have pass-via outcomes on some other location.”
(Article by Nathasia Nartey and edited by MGD Editor)
Source: MyGhanadaily.com
