Ghana suffers a 14% loss of its maize crop each year due to post-harvest challenges, primarily stemming from technological gaps.
According to the Bono regional director of Food and Agriculture, Dennis Abugiri Amenga, 13% of rice and more than 40% of mangoes are lost each year under similar conditions.
During the launch of the post-harvest mechanised training programme at the Wenchi Agricultural College in Wenchi Municipality on Tuesday 13 August 2024, Amenga said, “As a country, we are losing significantly when it comes to post-harvest losses.”
Amenga added, “Farmers toil to produce their crops, only to see a portion of their yield go to waste. About 14% of maize, 13% of rice, and over 40% of fruits like mangoes are wasted after harvest. This is primarily due to a technological gap”.
Amenga pointed out that the situation is even more dire for other crops, such as rice, tomatoes and pepper.
Dennis Abugiri Amenga emphasised the programme’s importance due to the alarming rate of post-harvest losses in Ghana.
He underscored the necessity of effective post-harvest management to reduce losses, enhance food security and improve the livelihoods of farmers.
Additionally, he praised the World Food Programme and its donor partners for their support in this initiative. He was optimistic the training would lead to significant improvement in Ghana’s post-harvest agricultural practices.
“The technology required to prevent these losses is available, but not in the abundance we need,” Amenga noted.
“This initiative aims to increase the use of post-harvest technology, including the necessary equipment and tools to reduce these losses”.
The six-week training programme is designed to equip 500 university graduates with agricultural backgrounds with post-harvest management skills.
Over 7,000 trainees are expected to benefit from the Training which includes repair and maintenance of agricultural machinery at the Wenchi Agricultural College.
Reporting by Daniel Donkor in the Bono Region
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