The Upper West, Upper East, Savannah, North East and Northern Regions lose between 20 to 80 percent of yams produced while recording another 10 to 40 percent loss of all vegetables produced.
The regions also lose about 15 percent of the maize produced to Post Harvest Loses (PHL). That’s according to the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research; Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, (CSIR-SARI).
Post-Harvest Loss is defined as a reduction in quality and quantity of agricultural produce. Along the value chain; that is from farm to table, PHL can occur.
Statistics on Post-Harvest loses
The Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) – West Africa estimates that for a crop like Yam which is popular across the five regions of the North, between 2.06 and 3.05 percent of PHL happens at the Harvesting stage.
At post harvesting, 2.84 – 9.07 percent of the value of yams are lost. From transport to the storage of the yams, ReSAKSS states farmers lose between 0.8 – 12.5 percent.
In areas of storage, transport and distribution farmers lose between 4.9 and 19, 3.11 and 4.08 and 1-4 percent of their yams respectively. This brings it to farmers losing between 14.7 and 47.7 of the yam they produce.
The situation is no different for crops like rice, cassava, maize cowpea and groundnuts among others. In view of these devastating effects of PHL on the pockets of farmers and the strain on the national economy due to huge imports of agricultural produce, stakeholders in the agricultural sector have over the years been brainstorming on how to effectively deal with the situation in a cost effective way that farmers could also afford to stay in business.
Government Intervention
Over the years, successive governments have initiated policies aimed at addressing PHL through FASDEP I and II. FASDEP 1 and II were operationalized through the Medium Term Agricultural Sector Investment Plans (1, II and III).
METASIP III ended in 2017 with plans to redesign it into different forms with the aim to revamp the Agricultural Sector and to address PHL.
Other programmes have been introduced including government’s flagship programmes: the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), One-District-One-Warehouse and the Ghana Commodity Exchange.
In many cases, quantitative and qualitative loss occurs earlier in the chain before these interventions.
Private Sector/ Civil Society Intervention
On November 14, 2017, stakeholders in agriculture with support from the SNV through the Voice for Change Partnership Campaign met for the first time at the regional level to discuss the effects of PHL on farmers, particularly small scale farmers and how to effectively deal with same.
Representatives from all Municipals and Districts in the Upper West Region, along with member of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, the top hierarchy of MOFA at the regional level were hosted by the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC).
At the end of the stakeholders meeting, the Regional Director of Agriculture, Emmanuel Sasu Yeboah and a Policy Officer with GTLC signed a communique as a beginning to a comprehensive commitment to reduce and in the long run end PHL in the Upper West Region.
As part of efforts to make this a reality, GTLC with funding support SNV has set up a committee to tackle PHL in the Upper West Region.
Regional Platform On Post-Harvest Losses
On January 29, 2019 at an event organised by GTLC under the Voice for Change Partnership, it was agreed that there was a need for stakeholders to come together to find a solution to the problem of PHL. That was the birth of the Platform on PHL.
The ‘Upper West Regional Platform on Post-Harvest Losses’ is a Multi-stakeholder Platform to address the challenges of Post-Harvest Loss (PHL).
Members on the platform have been drawn from civil society, the media and private sector along with officials from MOFA.
The Regional Platform was set to create an avenue for knowledge sharing and to offer solutions to the challenges of Post-harvest Loss.
It is also meant to synchronize all efforts by players in the agricultural sector aimed at addressing PHL.
The ‘Upper West Regional Platform on Post-Harvest Losses’ is expected to run for 2 years with funding from SNV.
According to a Policy Officer with GTLC, Emmanuel Wullingdool, there are a number of crops that the group is focusing on.
The group would however focused on crops that have more female participation as well. For example maize, cowpea, soybeans and groundnuts.
The platform would also extend its services to tree crops and vegetables as well.
‘The Talking Book’
The use of simple tools in addressing challenges in agriculture is key as it enables smallholder farmers to purchase the devices within an affordable price range.
In the case of addressing PHL in the Upper West Region, the use of the ‘Talking Book’ could prove very useful.
The ‘Talking Book’ is a small battery powered audio device that contains a microchip. The microchip allows for audio files to be stored unto the devices.
The audio files are instructions and manuals that have been translated into local dialects for farmers to comprehend easily.
The Programme Manager of Literacy Bridge, Libald Sabogu speaking to GBC’s Mark Smith said he believes the device offers the Regional Platform on PHL a huge step towards reducing PHL.
His argument is that as compared to radio conversations and forums, the devices can be on the farms with the farmers.
They can play, stop, rewind and forward the instructional manuals as they please. The devices are also offline audio books therefore there isn’t any need for network signals to use it. The ‘Talking book’ was designed by Cliff Schmidt a member of Engineers without Borders.
Conclusion
In providing solutions to the issues of PHL, any intervention that does not take into consideration private sector participation, cost effectiveness and gender inclusion, may not be sustainable. It is the reason why stakeholders of the agricultural sector are excited about this new development.
It offers the opportunity to go beyond making policies, to making real change and impact for smallholder farmers in rural Ghana.
Being the first of such platforms to be set up in the country, the possibilities remain endless as are the challenges.
How members are able to surmount the challenges they would encounter would determine the impact they would make and how much they could reduce PHL in the Upper West Region.
Story by Mark Smith
