Effects of Fermentation Periods and Drying Methods on Postharvest Quality of Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao) Beans in Ghana
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP and has made Ghana a recognized leader in the cocoa industry. However, there are myriad problems associated with Ghana’s cocoa bean quality. One such problems stems from farmers paying less attention to the required postharvest activities (fermentation and drying) which contributes significantly to bean quality losses. *is study investigated the effect of the duration of the traditional heap fermentation period and differ...
Impact of storage practices and pest on the quality of cocoa beans in warehouses in Brofoyedru Cocoa District of Ghana
This study assessed the storage practices of five licensed buying companies (LBC) and pests which affected the quality of stored cocoa beans in the study area. The study comprised of field survey using questionnaires. Samples of stored cocoa beans were collected for periods of 0, 2 and 4 weeks of storage. Laboratory experiments were done to check physical quality characteristics using the cut test method, insect damage, purpleness and weight loss. Insects present in beans were checked u...
Consuming What You Produce: Perception and Consumption Habits of Cocoa-based Products by Cocoa Farmers in the Eastern Region of Ghana
In recent times, the concerns of the government of Ghana have been on the need to increase the share of locally processed cocoa by 50%. To this end, there has been efforts through campaign by Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to whip up interest amongst Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of cocoa consumption to sustain the sector which continues to export huge raw cocoa beans with minimal value addition. The concerns are whether or not cocoa consumption by farmers has the potential to contribute to t...
Impact of Production Inputs and Timing on Crackness of Rice in Northern Ghana
Under rain-fed conditions, perfumed rice production in Northern Ghana is associated with high paddy cracking during milling. In this study, 4 perfumed rice varieties, 6 staggered planting times, 6 staggered harvesting cycles, and staggered storage duration from harvest to six months of storage were used in a randomized complete block design to identify the best combination of factors that are associated with low cracking in rice production. )e experiment was laid out in a randomized comple...
Influence of Cowpea Lines As Green Manure on Growth and Yield of Carrots in Root-Knot Nematode Infested Soil
An experiment was conducted at the University of Education, Winneba, Mampong-Ashanti campus to determine the effect of some cowpea lines as green manure on the growth and yield of carrot in root-knot nematode infested soil. Randomized complete block design with five treatments and four replications was used. Thetreatments were cowpea lines IT97K-570-18; IT97K-566-18; and IT00K-1150 as green manure, N.P.K (15, 15,15) and control. The results showed negative correlation between root-knot nema...
Impact of Illegal Small Scale Mining (Galamsey) on Cocoa Production in Atiwa district of Ghana
The mining sector is a very important segment of the extractive sector but has one of the most serious and disastrous environmental consequences; conflicting with the livelihood (especially cocoa farmers) and survival of resident communities. This study was conducted in Atiwa district of Ghana to assess farmer’s awareness of small scale illegal mining (Galamsey), its impact on cocoa production and livelihoods in the mining communities. Snowball sampling techniques were used. Data collected ...
Constraints Facing Cocoa-Based Agricultural Knowledge and Information System in Ghana: Perception of Cocoa Farmers in the Eastern Region of Ghana
The study ranked and analysed the constraints facing the Cocoa-based Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS) in Ghana from the perspectives of cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region. Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) was used to test the rank of factors that influence the efficient functioning of the cocoa-based AKIS. The study revealed that there was a 100% agreement among the various rankings that 22.7% of the coefficient of concordance is correct. Implying that, there is...
Climate Change Awareness and Coping Strategies of Cocoa Farmers in Rural Ghana
The study assessed the perception of farmers on the awareness, causes and impact of climate change on their farming activities. The study further identifies and describes the various coping strategies adopted by farmers and ways of improving upon them to effectively tackle change in climatic conditions. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, and percentages. The other key technique that was employed to address the objective includes the Chi squ...