News: New report shows female farmers dominate post-harvest management in Ghana

Source: Ghana Business News

Female farmers dominate post-harvest management in Ghana, according to a research by Ghana Agricultural Union Workers (GAWU) with assistance from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Dr. Collins Osei of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and leader of the research team, said this during a presentation of findings of the study to GAWU members, at a workshop in Accra on Thursday. He called for special initiatives for women processors, traders and increase in the number of women extension workers, especially in areas where cultural practices prevented men from communicating directly with women.

The research was to assess the social and economic profile of farmers, especially women and how post-harvest losses affected their livelihood. It sought to provide an inventory of the traditional and modern Post-harvest control and management measure against loss of identified crops. The study was conducted in five communities from each of the 10 regions in the country. Some of the communities were, Guli, Kpers and Sagu in Upper West Region, Ofoase-Kokoben and Afrancho in Ashanti Region. The findings indicated that more women were involved in food crop production and post-harvest management of crops, making agriculture a critical sector for women in Ghana.

The research revealed that women considered destruction by rodents and birds of produce during drying as the most important post-harvest challenge while men thought spillage during transportation was the most important post-harvest challenge. It recommended that women should be encouraged to participate in discussions on issues concerning in post-harvest management. The research said policies on post-harvest management should incorporate gender roles and needs into agricultural training programmes offered to extension workers to minimise losses especially to women. Mr. Karim Saagbul, Project Coordinator of GAWU, said the research would help formulate policies that would help to empower women in post-harvest management. He said GAWU had started supporting farmers in rural areas with tractors to promote farming.