Research Article
Sweet Potato Value Chain Analysis Reveals Opportunities for Increased Income and Food Security in Northern Ghana
Table 3
Characteristics of sweet potato production operations (% responding).
| Production operations | Description | Northern region | Upper East region | Total |
| Average size of farm (ha) | 0.5 | 69.7 | 35.0 | 52.5 | 1 | 18.5 | 25.0 | 21.7 | 2 | 10.9 | 28.3 | 19.6 | 3 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 4 and above | — | 5.8 | 2.9 |
| Source of seed for planting | Own seed | 36.1 | 44 | 40 | Recycled improved seed | 15 | 30 | 22.5 | Certified seed | 6 | 9 | 7.5 | From MoFA, CIP, SARI, or NGOs | 42.9 | 17 | 30 |
| Number of years seed has been recycled (years) | 1-2 | 69.7 | 20.0 | 50.8 | 3–5 | 18.5 | 30.0 | 23.3 | 6–10 | 5.9 | 29.2 | 15.4 | >10 | 5.9 | 20.8 | 10.4 |
| Average quantity harvested (bags: ~105 kg) | 1–3 | 84.9 | 8.3 | 46.7 | 4–6 | 5.0 | 20.8 | 12.9 | 7–10 | 6.7 | 21.7 | 14.2 | >10 | 3.4 | 49.2 | 26.3 |
| Proportion of harvested produce consumed by household | Up to 25% | 41.0 | 5.0 | 22.9 | Up to 50% | 13.4 | 69.2 | 41.3 | Up to 75% | 30.1 | 21.7 | 26.3 | Everything is consumed | 15.1 | 4.2 | 9.6 |
| Proportion of household income from sweet potato production | 10% | 75.6 | 20.8 | 17.9 | 20% | 11.8 | 40.0 | 30.8 | 40% | 11.8 | 19.2 | 22.1 | 60% | 0.8 | 17.5 | 18.3 | 80% | — | 2.5 | 9.6 | 100% | | | 1.3 |
| How long sweet potato is available for consumption at home (weeks) | 1-2 | 48.7 | 14.2 | 31.7 | 3-4 | 42.0 | 25.8 | 33.3 | 5–8 | 8.4 | 35.6 | 21.7 | 9–12 | 1.7 | 25.0 | 13.3 |
| Length of storage after harvest (weeks) | I do not store at all | 25.2 | 9.2 | 17.5 | 1-2 | 28.6 | 9.2 | 18.8 | 3-4 | 38.7 | 28.3 | 33.3 | >4 | 7.6 | 53.3 | 30.4 |
| Method of storage | Temporal shed | 27.7 | 16.7 | 22.5 | Underground pit | 41.1 | 31.7 | 35.8 | Heap with intermittent watering | 31.1 | 51.7 | 41.7 |
|
|
Note. Full list of acronyms has been provided at the tail end of this manuscript.
|