Determinants of Yam Postharvest Management in the Zabzugu District of Northern Ghana

Autor: Isaac Gershon Kodwo Ansah, Bright K. D. Tetteh
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Advances in Agriculture, Vol 2016 (2016)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2356-654X
2314-7539
DOI: 10.1155/2016/9274017
Popis: Postharvest loss reduction has received attention in many policy documents across nations to ensure global food security, particularly in developing countries. Many researchers have examined various options for reducing postharvest losses. We contribute our quota to this scientific discourse by using a different approach. We argue that the human element of managing postharvest loss is central and therefore poses the question of what are the characteristics of the farmer who manages postharvest losses better. We examine this question by using a cross section of yam farmers in the Zabzugu district in Northern Ghana and generate a proportional variable called postharvest management, which measures how effective a farmer works to reduce storage losses. We then use a fractional logistic regression model to examine the determinants of postharvest management. A significant result is that subsistence farmers manage postharvest losses better than commercial farmers. Characteristically, the farmer who effectively manages postharvest losses is a young, subsistence farmer, living in or close to a district capital with fewer household members, has attained formal education, and produces more yam. Efforts to reduce postharvest losses require the provision of access roads to remote towns or providing effective storage techniques and training on postharvest management practices.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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