Postharvest systems of selected vegetables in the Upper East and West regions of Ghana

Abstract

Every Ghanaian household uses eggplant, okra, onion, pepper and tomato as well as other leafy vegetables. Its widespread usage had led to wide cultivation using different soil types. Pockets of spoilage predominate during favourable seasons. Postharvest losses up to about 50% have been documented for some of these perishables. Interventions in the postharvest subsector were in the past oriented towards isolated technical solutions with subsequent dissemination. In this survey using a structured questionnaire, the whole set of operations within the chain from production to consumption was studied for the two upper regions of Ghana. Production was basically during the dry season when there was no major farming active for the main staples. Tomato and onions had high premium thus were the main vegetables grown. Cultivation was done near dams, waterbeds or dugout for source of irrigation. The drudgery involved in cultivation restricted production to lower acreage and basically men