Postharvest status of plantains in some selected markets in Ghana

Abstract

Plantain production and marketing has been done traditionally, as the problem of food production shortage during the last decade in Ghana has temporarily been solved with import substitute staple like rice. A survey of marketing and utilisation of plantain in twenty-two urban markets from five regions of Ghana revealed that fruit maturity has important criteria to all players in the plantain postharvest system. Unavailable, improper infrastructure and facilities coupled with unreliable transportation system and poor road network shorten the shelf-life thus causing rapid ripening with subsequent increase in postharvest losses. The practiced technology for enhancing ripening of fruits, though low, was appropriate and cost effective. The role of market queens in the retailing of the product had a negative effect on the rate of returns of the retailers, which contributed to about 45% of the traders being seasonal sellers. However with about 60% of respondents had basic education and their level of record and book keeping was impressive