Accra: For over four decades, 45-year-old Maame Kakraba has sustained her family through the challenging yet often overlooked profession of fish dressing and trading in Ghana. Her work, learned from her mother, involves buying, processing, and selling fish, a trade that demands skill, patience, and experience.
According to Ghana News Agency, Maame Kakraba recently discussed her journey on Episode Seven of "At the Table with Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa," highlighting her resilience and dedication in the face of business challenges. She elaborated on the intricacies of fish dressing, stating that it requires years of practice to master tasks such as peeling off the outer layer properly.
Maame Kakraba also processes fish through traditional salting for preservation, allowing her products to reach markets across Accra, Cape Coast, and other regions. However, the business faces significant hurdles, particularly during seasonal fish shortages that drive up prices and impact affordability, thus affecting traders' profits.
During scarcity, Maame Kakraba noted that prices could rise sharply, with some fish selling for as much as GHC200. Despite higher prices, the increased purchasing costs leave traders with minimal profit margins. Yet, she remains grateful for the business, which enabled her to raise her four children, who have now moved on, leaving her to care for her grandchildren.
Encouraging others to join the trade, she emphasized the profitability of the current octopus season, which sees large quantities bought by Hausa traders and resold to Chinese buyers, enhancing market opportunities for those involved.
Remarkably, despite handling sharp knives daily for over 40 years, Maame Kakraba has never suffered a serious cut, attributing her safety to experience and careful handling, highlighting the demanding yet rewarding nature of her occupation.
"At the Table with Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa" is a public interest program by Agrihouse Foundation and AgriWatchGH, in partnership with the World Food Forum Ghana Chapter. It aims to spotlight the stories and contributions of women farmers across Ghana, celebrating their role in agriculture and national development as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.