What's in season in Accra

What is plentiful in Accra this month, what is coming and what to wait for - fruit, vegetables, staples, livestock and fish. Here the seasons follow the rain.

Fruit, vegetables and staples

  • Maize cobs, the grain dried on them, spread out in the sun

    Maize

    July to August and November to December, best July and August

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    Major season March to April, minor season August to September.
    Harvest
    Major harvest July to August, minor November to December.
    In Accra
    Often grown with cassava in the same field. Yields in the region are low for Ghana: about 0.9 tonnes a hectare on 3,638 hectares in 2010.
    At the market
    Fresh green cobs arrive after the major harvest. Dried grain keeps for months, so it is on sale all year.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [7] [17] [18]

    Photo: Geossegawa, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cassava roots, freshly dug, in a basin and on the grass

    Cassava

    All year, best November to January

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    April to July, in the rains.
    Harvest
    November to January is the main harvest, but the roots can stay in the ground and be dug almost all year once they are nine to twelve months old.
    In Accra
    Greater Accra's biggest crop by weight and its most common by number of farms. Ada West is cassava country. In 2010: 68,170 tonnes on 6,834 hectares.
    At the market
    Fresh roots are on sale all year. Buy firm ones with no black streaks and use them within a day or two.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [4] [7] [14]

    Photo: Lebu Ayiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ripe rice heads bending on the stalk

    Rice

    August to October

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    In the rains, with a second crop on irrigated and lowland plots.
    Harvest
    August to October, and again where the fields are irrigated.
    In Accra
    About five tonnes a hectare, which is high for Ghana. Grown mostly on lowland and irrigated land such as the Dangme belt. In 2010: 12,773 tonnes on 2,323 hectares.
    At the market
    Freshly milled local rice is likeliest after the August to October harvest. Ask the seller where it was grown.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: China News Service, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cobs of yellow sweet corn, husked

    Sweet corn

    August and September

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    March to April.
    Harvest
    August to September, 90 to 120 days after planting.
    In Accra
    Roasted corn season at the roadside follows the maize harvest.
    At the market
    Roasted corn is easiest to find in August and September.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [16]

    Photo: wstoakLL at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Long green cowpea pods

    Cowpea (beans)

    October to December

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    Major season April to August, minor September to October.
    Harvest
    October to November, and November to December.
    In Accra
    The bean in red-red and in gari and beans.
    At the market
    Dried beans store well, so a bag bought after the harvest lasts.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [16]

    Photo: HeraldDesa at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A truss of ripe red tomatoes

    Tomato

    All year, best December to April

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year where irrigated. The rainy-season crop gets more disease.
    Harvest
    Best supply December to April, from dry-season irrigated plots.
    In Accra
    The largest vegetable area in Greater Accra, and one of its five most common crops by number of farms. In 2010: 14,871 tonnes on 10,464 hectares.
    At the market
    In the rains tomatoes bruise and rot faster, so buy less, more often.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [4] [7]

    Photo: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • An orange Scotch bonnet pepper on the plant

    Hot pepper

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation.
    Harvest
    All year. The sources disagree on when supply is highest - one says in the rains, another that dry-season irrigated pepper peaks from December to February - so no peak is shown.
    In Accra
    The second most common crop in Greater Accra by number of farms. In 2010: 14,595 tonnes on 5,727 hectares.
    At the market
    When pepper is cheap, dry it whole or blend and freeze it.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [4]

    Photo: Temaciejewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • An okra pod growing upright on the plant

    Okra

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year. A quick crop, 70 to 80 days.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    A traditional vegetable of the city's farmers. In 2010: 12,809 tonnes on 4,447 hectares.
    At the market
    Pick small, bright green pods that snap cleanly.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [5] [16]

    Photo: Earth100, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A garden egg plant in flower

    Garden egg

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year, 60 to 70 days.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    Grown on a smaller scale than the other traditional vegetables. In 2010: 1,902 tonnes on 325 hectares.
    At the market
    Smooth, glossy skin means fresh. Wrinkled ones are old.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [5] [16]

    Photo: Hans B., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Heads of green cabbage piled for sale

    Cabbage

    All year, best December to February

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    The dry season and cooler months are preferred.
    Harvest
    Two to three months after planting.
    In Accra
    A high-value city crop, at 35 to 40 tonnes a hectare. In 2010: 15,910 tonnes on 238 hectares.
    At the market
    Heavy, tight heads are best. Peel off the outer leaves and wash it well.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [5]

    Photo: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bunch of carrots with their leafy tops

    Carrot

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation, 65 to 85 days.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    One of the five most common crops in Greater Accra by number of farms.
    At the market
    Scrub or peel before eating.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [4] [5] [16]

    Photo: Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cucumbers on the vine, with yellow flowers

    Cucumber

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation, 60 to 65 days.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    A small crop in the Ministry's figures. In 2010: 283 tonnes on 21 hectares.
    At the market
    Peel it, or wash it well like any raw salad vegetable.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [5] [16]

    Photo: Stephen Ausmus, USDA ARS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A head of cauliflower in its leaves

    Cauliflower

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    One of the exotic vegetables the city's farmers grow.
    At the market
    Choose tight, creamy white heads.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [5]

    Photo: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Red, white and brown onions, some sliced into rings

    Onion

    September to December

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    August to November, by an aggregated crop calendar.
    Harvest
    From September or October on, depending on planting.
    In Accra
    A modest crop here. Most of Ghana's shallots come from Keta and Anloga in the Volta region, not from Accra. In 2010: 1,905 tonnes on 211 hectares.
    At the market
    Onions on sale outside these months are stored or brought in from elsewhere.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [16]

    Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A striped watermelon ripening on the ground among its leaves

    Watermelon

    January to April and August to October

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    The dry season and the early rains, 70 to 80 days.
    Harvest
    Roughly January to April, and again August to October.
    In Accra
    One of the region's biggest crops by weight. In 2010: 17,350 tonnes on 814 hectares.
    At the market
    A hollow sound when tapped and a creamy yellow patch underneath are good signs.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [16]

    Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rows of lettuce growing in a field

    Lettuce

    All year, best December to February

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year, 45 to 50 days. The dry season is the main planting time.
    Harvest
    All year, six to seven weeks after planting.
    In Accra
    Grown on drain and stream banks and sold to hotels, restaurants, canteens and street food sellers. Almost all the lettuce eaten in the city is grown in or around it. In 2010: 280 tonnes on 34 hectares.
    At the market
    The water city plots are watered with is often contaminated. Wash lettuce thoroughly in clean water before eating it raw.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [2] [5] [6] [8] [25] [26]

    Photo: en:User:Geographer, CC BY 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A bunch of red spring onions

    Spring onion

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    One of the exotic vegetables the city's farmers grow.
    At the market
    Wash the root end well, where the soil collects.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [5]

    Photo: Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Leaves and a yellow flower of ayoyo, jute mallow

    Ayoyo and kontomire

    All year, best April to July

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    All year with irrigation, growing fastest in the rains.
    Harvest
    Three to six weeks after sowing.
    In Accra
    Ayoyo, jute mallow, is one of the city's traditional crops. No figure for the area grown in Accra was found.
    At the market
    Cheapest and freshest in the rains. Wash the leaves in several changes of water.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [5]

    Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A ripe mango beside one cut in half

    Mango

    April to August and November to January, best May and June

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial tree that flowers in the dry season.
    Harvest
    Major season April to August, peaking in May and June. Minor season November to January.
    In Accra
    Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta make up the cluster behind up to half of Ghana's mango exports, and Shai-Osudoku, around Dodowa, is the Accra end of it. Keitt, Kent, Haden and Palmer are grown.
    At the market
    The peak months bring the best price and flavour. A sweet smell at the stem end means ripe.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [12] [13] [19]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A pineapple growing on the plant

    Pineapple

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    Planted all year, with flowering staggered.
    Harvest
    Two flushes a year. One exporter quotes November to April, another all year, so no peak is shown.
    In Accra
    Grown mainly in Greater Accra, Central, Eastern and Volta. Smooth Cayenne, MD2 and Sugarloaf are the varieties.
    At the market
    If a leaf pulls easily from the crown, the fruit is ripe.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [12] [20] [21]

    Photo: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A pawpaw cut lengthways, showing its seeds

    Pawpaw

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial, fruiting all year.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    No Accra figure was found.
    At the market
    Choose fruit that is yellow-orange and gives a little when pressed.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [4]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Green, red and yellow bananas side by side

    Banana

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial, fruiting all year.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    No Accra figure was found.
    At the market
    Buy some ripe and some green, so they ripen through the week.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [4]

    Photo: TimothyPilgrim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bunches of green plantain hanging for sale

    Plantain

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial, fruiting all year.
    Harvest
    Steady through the year.
    In Accra
    No Accra figure was found.
    At the market
    Green for chips and boiling, yellow with black spots for kelewele.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [4]

    Photo: J & E, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A heap of green coconuts

    Coconut

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial palm.
    Harvest
    All year.
    In Accra
    Coconut palms are a traditional crop along the Accra coast.
    At the market
    Shake it. More water sloshing means a younger, juicier nut.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [4]

    Photo: Mehedi Hassan Emon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • An orange beside one cut in half, and segments

    Orange

    All year, best April to July

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial tree.
    Harvest
    On sale all year, peaking around the major rains.
    In Accra
    No Accra figure was found.
    At the market
    Heavy for its size usually means juicy.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [4]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Avocados hanging on the tree

    Avocado

    Season not confirmed for Accra

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial tree.
    Harvest
    Follows local flowering. No window for Accra was found.
    In Accra
    The season could not be confirmed for Accra, so no months are shown.
    At the market
    Ask your seller what is coming in this week.

    No window for Accra could be found, so none is shown. Sources: [4]

    Photo: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A guava beside one cut in half, pink inside

    Guava

    Season not confirmed for Accra

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial tree.
    Harvest
    Follows local flowering. No window for Accra was found.
    In Accra
    The season could not be confirmed for Accra, so no months are shown.
    At the market
    Ask your seller what is coming in this week.

    No window for Accra could be found, so none is shown. Sources: [4]

    Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yellow cashew apples on the tree, each with its nut below

    Cashew apple

    Season not confirmed for Accra

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Planting
    A perennial tree.
    Harvest
    Follows local flowering. No window for Accra was found.
    In Accra
    The season could not be confirmed for Accra, so no months are shown.
    At the market
    Ask your seller what is coming in this week.

    No window for Accra could be found, so none is shown. Sources: [4]

    Photo: Abhishek Jacob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Livestock and fish

  • A cockerel and a hen perched side by side

    Chicken

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Raised all year.
    Supply
    All year. Demand peaks at Christmas, Easter and the other festivals.
    In Accra
    Half the livestock in the Accra Metropolis is chicken, and almost a third of the people keeping animals keep chickens. Local and exotic fowl, guinea fowl and turkey.
    At the market
    Order early before a big festival, when everybody else does.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [22]

    Photo: Andrei Niemimäki from Turku, Finland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A brown and white goat standing on a tree stump

    Goats and sheep

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Raised all year, free-range or tethered in the city's districts.
    Supply
    All year. Feed is plentiful in the rains and short in the dry season, and sales peak around festivals.
    In Accra
    Sheep and goats are the main ruminants kept in the region; goats are a sixth of the Accra Metropolis's livestock.
    At the market
    Animals are in their best condition after the rains.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [22]

    Photo: Kuebi = Armin Kübelbeck, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A brown and white cow lying in a meadow

    Cattle

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Raised all year on the coastal savanna of the Accra Plains.
    Supply
    All year, with feed short in the dry season.
    In Accra
    Greater Accra is also a major slaughter and meat market for cattle brought from the north.
    At the market
    Much of the beef sold in Accra was raised in the north.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2] [16] [23]

    Photo: Kim Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pigs rooting in a farmyard

    Pigs

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Raised all year.
    Supply
    All year.
    In Accra
    Listed by the Ministry among the region's livestock. No numbers were found.
    At the market
    Supply is steady through the year.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [2]

    Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A giant African land snail on leaf litter in Ghana

    Snails

    All year, best April to July and September to October

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Raised all year.
    Supply
    All year, but snails do best in the rains.
    In Accra
    The Ministry counts snails, grasscutter, rabbits, bees and mushrooms as alternative livelihoods. Snail keepers in the Accra Metropolis kept a few hundred each in 2010.
    At the market
    Giant snails are most plentiful in the rainy months.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [1] [22]

    Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A silver sardinella

    Sea fish

    All year, best July to September and December to February

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Canoe fishing all year.
    Supply
    All year, but fish are most plentiful in the two upwelling seasons, when cold water rises off the coast: December or January to February, and July to September.
    In Accra
    Sardinella, anchovy, mackerel, tuna and more, landed on Greater Accra's beaches at Chorkor, Jamestown, Tema, Prampram and Ada. Ghana's catch has been falling.
    At the market
    In the upwelling months fish is plentiful, and smoked fish is cheaper to stock up on.

    The season is from a named source. Sources: [15] [24]

    Photo: BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • A Nile tilapia

    Farmed fish

    All year

    Planting, harvest and Accra
    Raised
    Pond fish, raised all year.
    Supply
    All year. Tilapia reaches table size in about six months.
    In Accra
    Few farming households in the region keep fish, but the Ministry lists tilapia and catfish among its specialties.
    At the market
    Farmed tilapia is a steady option when the sea catch is low.

    A typical window, partly inferred from the rains and general Ghana calendars, not from Accra records. Sources: [1] [4]

    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The whole year

Every item across the twelve months. Full green marks the best months, muted green the months it is on sale, and hatched rows have no confirmed season in Accra.

Item JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Maize
Cassava
Rice
Sweet corn
Cowpea (beans)
Tomato
Hot pepper
Okra
Garden egg
Cabbage
Carrot
Cucumber
Cauliflower
Onion
Watermelon
Lettuce
Spring onion
Ayoyo and kontomire
Mango
Pineapple
Pawpaw
Banana
Plantain
Coconut
Orange
Avocado
Guava
Cashew apple
Chicken
Goats and sheep
Cattle
Pigs
Snails
Sea fish
Farmed fish

The rains set the calendar

Accra has two rainy seasons: the major rains from about April to July, and the minor rains from August or September to October or November. December to February is dry, with the Harmattan's haze. About 800 mm falls on the coast in a year and up to about 1,270 mm inland.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

The year on Accra's farms

December to February
Dry, with Harmattan haze; hot by February. Dry-season irrigated vegetables are at their best - lettuce, tomato, cabbage. The minor mango harvest runs into January and the cassava harvest is on. Sea fish are plentiful in the upwelling.
March to May
The hottest stretch, then the rains start in April. Land is prepared and maize, cassava and sweet corn go in. The major mango harvest begins in April, and fertiliser demand peaks.
June to July
The major rains at their heaviest, with flooding in valley bottoms and below the Weija dam. Cassava planting finishes in July. Mangoes peak. The second upwelling starts in July, and vegetable plots in low ground flood.
August to October
A short dry spell, then the minor rains. The major maize and sweet corn harvest - roasted corn season. Minor season maize and cowpea are planted, and onions from August. The upwelling runs to September.
November
The minor rains end. Minor-season maize and cowpea come in, the cassava harvest starts and the minor mango season begins.

How to read this

The windows are a guide, not a promise. Each item says whether its season comes from a named source or is a typical window, and three trees - avocado, guava and cashew - have no months at all, because no season for Accra could be found and inventing one would be worse than saying so. Before relying on an exact date, ask your seller or a local Ministry of Food and Agriculture officer.

Compiled on 6 October 2026 from the sources below. The photographs are from Wikimedia Commons; each one's photographer and licence are under its item.

Sources

  1. Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Greater Accra Region
  2. Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Crops subsector, Greater Accra (2009-2010 tables)
  3. Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Greater Accra districts
  4. Ghana Districts: Greater Accra, households in agriculture (2010 census)
  5. Irrigated vegetable farming in urban Ghana
  6. IWMI: Irrigated urban vegetable production in Ghana
  7. CropWhen: Ghana planting calendar and the coastal savanna's rains
  8. KNUST: lettuce production in Accra and Kumasi
  9. ALNAP: Access to land and water for urban vegetable farming in Accra (2003)
  10. Asomani-Boateng: Urban cultivation in Accra (2002)
  11. Ghana Districts: Ada West
  12. WACOMP: Pineapple and mango diagnostic study
  13. ABM Online: Shai-Osudoku mango farmers cry out for buyers (December 2024)
  14. Graphic Online: Cassava cultivation in the Ada West district
  15. USDA: Ghana fishery product report (2009)
  16. CropWhen: Ghana planting calendar
  17. FAO-GIEWS: Ghana crop calendar
  18. Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Guide to maize production
  19. WACOMP: Value chain analysis of the fruits sector in Ghana
  20. Organic pineapple farming in Ghana (GLSS 2009 households)
  21. Trackberry: Ghana pineapple season
  22. Ghana Districts: Accra Metropolis livestock (2010 census)
  23. MADE: Livestock market diagnostics
  24. FAO: Ghana fishery and aquaculture country profile
  25. MDPI Agriculture: Pre- and post-harvest practices of urban leafy green farmers in Accra
  26. Irrigation and Drainage: pathogen contamination of irrigated urban vegetables
  27. Urbanisation, land scarcity and urban farmers' mobility
  28. Ghana Census of Agriculture 2017/18

— Farming in Accra: where the city's food is grown ⇒
— Mango season in Ghana ⇒
— Fish seasons on the Accra coast ⇒
— Accra's markets ⇒
— Weather and seasons in Accra ⇒

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