My Horror Experience at The Farmer’s Market Shop as a Supplier
Apart from being a journalist, I am also a farmer. Just recently, some friends introduced me to vegetable farming, so I decided to partner with them and also look for outlets to supply.
I went to The Farmer’s Market Shop, where I met the purchasing officer, Mr. Patrick. He was very kind and took the time to show me how things are done. A few days later, I managed to harvest my first batch of lettuce, which I intended to supply to The Farmer’s Market Shop. I brought it directly from the farm—very fresh and without spots.
When I arrived at the shop, I didn’t meet Patrick, but instead, I met Prince, who introduced himself as the new purchasing officer. Since it was our first time meeting, we discussed the lettuce and the necessary procedures.
I was expecting a good price for my fresh lettuce, but unfortunately, I was offered only 6 cedis for 200 grams. I didn’t complain, as it was my first time supplying them, and my primary goal was not immediate profit but to establish a partnership with The Farmer’s Market Shop. So, I accepted the deal in good faith.
After taking my lettuce to the washing area—because I had brought it directly from the farm—Prince informed me that his Madam had instructed that my lettuce be returned to me because it had not been washed.
I explained to Prince that I had just harvested and delivered it fresh from the farm. However, he insisted that his Madam had decided it must be returned. This was nearly 900 Ghana cedis worth of lettuce, which The Farmer’s Market Shop had been pressuring me for weeks to deliver.
The lettuce I supplied was in excellent condition, and even the purchasing officer, Prince, was satisfied with the quality. Now, I was being asked to take it back—but to whom? Who was I supposed to sell it to?
Workers at The Farmer’s Market Shop told me that this was not the first time a farmer had brought produce directly from the farm to sell to them. According to them, the shop always buys fresh produce and washes it before displaying it for sale.
Maybe it was just a bad day for me, and now I am losing all the money I spent cultivating and transporting the lettuce to The Farmer’s Market in Community 11. One worker even told me that just last week, an elderly farmer was also treated unfairly and asked to take back the produce he had brought to sell.
Why label the shop “The Farmer’s Market” when farmers are being treated this way?
After spending hours at The Farmer’s Market Shop, I left with my lettuce and ended up selling it to a shop in Tema Community 1 at a ridiculously low price that couldn’t even cover my transportation costs.
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I had no choice—I couldn’t afford to transport it back to the farm or home.
This write-up is simply to share my experience at The Farmer’s Market Shop as a small-scale farmer trying to sell his produce—not to tarnish the shop’s reputation. Running a business at that level is not easy, and my intention is not to destroy anyone’s business.
However, I believe they can do better.
My experience at The Farmer’s Market Shop highlights the critical challenges that many farmers face when trying to partner with retail outlets. It also sheds light on the need for improved communication, understanding, and fairness in such collaborations.
My name is Michael Dewornu, a Journalist and a Farmer.
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