An assessment of post production losses of rice in Northern Ghana

Abstract

This study is a component of the project "improving the competitiveness and marketability of locally produced rice in Ghana vis-a-vis imports of the commodity into the country" implemented by the NARP Rice Programme in co-operation with the Natural Resources Institute of the U.K. The study assessed physical and qualitative losses in the post production system of rice, especially during harvesting, threshing, drying and storage focussing on the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. The study involved informal interviews of individual farmer groups and women involved in parboiling using a semi-structured questionnaire and direct observation of harvesting, threshing, cleaning, drying and parboiling. The study showed qualitative losses were more important than quantitative losses. Important qualitative losses occurred during threshing, drying and parboiling. It is concluded that reducing the qualitative losses that occur during threshing, drying and parboiling will make locally produced rice more competitive vis-a-vis imported rice