Yabe: Lack of transport and storage in Ghana leads to post-harvest losses
In Ghana, inadequate systems for transporting and storing produce lead to post-harvest losses, especially among producers of perishable crops. Social entrepreneur and innovator Mathias Charles Yabe stated this during the 13th edition of Loud and Green X-Space on JoyNews, MyJoyOnline reports.
Losses during delivery
Yabe cited the example of a female farmer who grows lettuce near Dodowa Road and supplies it to a buyer in Spintex. Previously, she transported her produce by Aboboya vehicle to the bus station and then continued the journey by trotro.
According to the entrepreneur, during such a trip the lettuce could break and wilt, significantly reducing the farmer's income. If she expected to earn 1,500 Ghanaian cedis, after delivery she could receive about 700 cedis. Yabe noted that such losses should not be explained solely by the actions of the farmers themselves: they point to the need for a better system for delivering perishable produce from farms to markets.
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Solar cooling
To address this problem, Agrofresh introduced a three-wheeled vehicle with solar-powered refrigeration equipment. According to Yabe, this solution is intended to complement stationary and mobile cooling units.
The pilot project was implemented together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, Holland Green Tech and Eden Tree. One of the female farmers who took part in the trial reported no losses during the delivery of produce by this tricycle.
Agrofresh also creates cooling units that can be installed directly on farms and in communities. Yabe says they can extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables from five to 21 days. The initiative is aimed, in particular, at farming communities with limited access to electricity.
