Improved Yam Storage for Food Security And Income In Ghana

The yam sector in Ghana is plagued with high levels of postharvest losses which constitute a major threat to economic viability of yam production and food security of the population that depends on the crop. The proposed project is aimed at reducing postharvest losses, increasing income and food security among the key actors in the yam value chain through improved yam storage systems.

This project will adopt a participatory approach to evaluate existing yam storage technologies and find innovative solutions to the weaknesses and constraints associated with them. Improved technologies from research which are effective and cost efficient will be introduced alongside farmers’ existing storage systems with the intention of gradually making farmers adopt new technologies from research.

The two year project (2013-2015) is supported by Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to the tune of Aus$375,400.00. The project is being executed by the Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness & Extension of KNUST in partnership with the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).