Vegetables are edible seeds, roots, stems, leaves, bulbs, tubers or non-sweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plants. Indigenous vegetables play a highly significant role in food security and income generation of the underprivileged in both urban and rural settings. Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) is a priority indigenous vegetable in the Northern Region of Ghana. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a popular vegetable commodity in Ghana, as it is consumed daily in many households. The objective of the study was to determine the kinds of packaging material used for tomato and amaranth at the farm-gate and during retail. A primary survey of 107 farmers and 53 traders was used for the analysis following data collection with the aid of structured questionnaires. The results showed that vegetables were mainly packaged with materials ranging from wooden boxes to polyethylene bags in the proportions of 71% (basins and baskets), 22% (wooden boxes), 5.1% (polypropylene sacks) and 1.9% (polyethylene bags) for tomato, and 50.7% (basins and baskets),  2.7% (wooden boxes), 43.8% (polypropylene sacks) and 2.8% (polyethylene bags) for amaranth. The use of the packaging materials came with their associated advantages and disadvantages. The use of wooden boxes, basins and baskets influenced positively on produce shelf life, as these containers permitted aeration of produce. The use of the sacks and bags promoted only easy transportation with reduced protection for produce.

Priority traditional leafy vegetables in the dry Savannah ecozone of Ghana.

Packaging of indigenous vegetables in the Northern Region, Ghana.

This study analysed the benefit-cost ratio of dry season vegetable production in urban and peri-urban Tamale. It provides some infonnation on the profitability of vegetable production so as to encourage more people to go into it. It also identified production constraints. The study covered 30 vegetable farmers, 15 from urban and 15 from peri-urban Tamale. Cabbage, okra and corchorus farmers were randomly sampled. The analytical tools used are benefit-cost ratio and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance. Peri-urban vegetable production was found to be more cost-effective and economically viable though urban dry season vegetable production had a higher monetary value. This is because whilst peri-urban vegetable production gave a benefit-cost ratio of 3.03, urban vegetable production gave a ratio of 2.57. On individual crop basis, peri-urban cabbage production was found to be the most orofitable with a benefit-cost ratio of 4.31. Major constraints to vegetable production were identified as high cost of fertilizer, variable prices of output, high labour cost, pests and diseases, high cost and poor quality of seed. It is strongly recommended, among others, that micro credit institutions should come to the aid ofvegetable producers in urban and peri-urban Tamale, since they are highly capable ofrepayment.

Priority traditional leafy vegetables in the dry Savannah ecozone of Ghana.

Citations

Packaging of indigenous vegetables in the Northern Region, Ghana.

Benefit-cost analysis of dry season vegetable production in urban and peri-urban tamale

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