Questionnaires 1994/1995 · Farm study
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Name of enumerator _________ |
Date _________ |
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District _________ |
Village _________ |
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Name of farmer _________ |
Farmer's house _________ |
1. Information about the farm-household
101. Ethnic background of farmer _________
102. How many people are living on your farm? _________,
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specify household composition: |
Female _________ Male _________ Age |
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Female _________Male _________Age |
103. Main problems concerning the farm and farm-household.
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financial issues _________ |
health _________ |
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rainfall _________ |
soil fertility _________ |
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storage problems _________ |
other, (specify) _________ |
104. Who is the owner of the farm and farm-land?
Owned freehold land _________
Leased freehold land _________
Leased government land _________
Other, (specify) _________
105 Does your wife/wives have her own fields? Yes _________ No _________
106. What are the main crops farmed on the field of the wife/wives?
wife's field _________ husband's field _________
107. How many acres of arable land do you cultivate in total? _________acres
108. What are the major cash crops this season?
first crop _________second crop _________
third crop _________fourth crop _________
109. What are the major subsistence crops this season?
first crop _________second crop _________
third crop _________fourth crop _________
2. Importance of cassava in the district
201. How important is the production of cassava (kokonte) in your area?
not very important_________
fairly important_________
very important_________
202. How important is the production of cassava for your family?
subsistence crop_________
semi-commercial crop_________
cash crop only_________
203. How many farmers cultivate cassava kokonte in this area?
very few _________ some _________ nearly all
204. How would you describe the consumption of cassava in your district?
very low _________ medium _________ very important
3. Planting of cassava
301. How many cassava fields do you cultivate currently? _________ fields
302. How big is the area cultivated with cassava (in acres or mounds)? _________
(2000 mounds being 1 acre)
303. How many cassava varieties did you plant last season? _________
(indicate the name of the local varieties)
Variety _________ Acreage _________ Yield _________
304. When did you plant and harvest cassava last season?
Variety _________ Date of Planting _________ Date of Harvesting _________
305. What do you do with your cassava roots after harvest?
(Describe the whole post-harvest chain from harvest to storage and selling)
306. What has changed over the years in farming cassava?
Distance to fields _________
Transport means _________
Production techniques _________
Harvesting techniques _________
Processing techniques _________
Storage methods _________
Other, (specify) _________
307. Describe the improvements and disadvantages related to changes in farming of cassava.
Advantages _________ Disadvantages
308. Have you increased the production of cassava over the years? Why or why not?
Yes _________, Reason _________
No _________, Reason _________
309. What is the most tedious work related to cassava?
Uprooting _________ Transporting _________
Peeling _________ Storing _________
Other, (specify) _________
310. Did you buy cassava seedlings last season?
No _________
Yes _________, How many _________ At what cost? _________ Cedis
311. Do you have any expenses concerning ploughing, weeding, mounding and planting of cassava?
No _________
Yes _________ specify _________
312. Do you hire any labour for all activities such as ploughing, weeding, mounding and planting of cassava?
No _________ Yes _________, specify _________
4. Harvest and processing of cassava
401. Who is mainly harvesting/uprooting cassava?
men _________women _________ both
402. Do you leave roots, after maturing, in the ground?
No _________
Yes _________, for how long? _________weeks/months
403. Who is transferring cassava roots from the field to the house?
men _________ women _________ both _________
404. How long is the distance from your main cassava field to the house? _________
405. How do you carry the cassava roots from the field to the house?
headload _________ bicycle _________
push truck _________ car/lorry _________
other means _________
406. What are the means of transport to the farm-house for men and women?
men _________ women _________
407. Do you store mainly fresh or processed cassava? _________
408. How do you process the cassava roots?
peel and slice only the big chips _________
peel and slice all chips _________
peel only the chips without slicing _________
409. Who does mainly the peeling of cassava roots?
only/mainly men _________ only/mainly women _________
both _________
410. What do you do with the main portion of the kokonte?
only for consumption % _________
for sale (%)_________
partly for sale and consumption % _________
411. What happens with the small cassava kokonte?
consumption (in %) _________
sale (in %) _________
sale and consumption (%) _________
412. Why do you store only cassava kokonte and not very small chips or cassava flour?
413. Do you hire any labour for transport and harvest of cassava roots?
5. Drying and storing of chips
501. Where do you dry your chips?
Leenga _________ on the ground _________
both ways _________ other means of drying _________
502. How long do you dry the cassava chips (days/weeks)? _________
503. Who does the drying/spreading of the chips (responsibility)?
men _________women _________ both _________
504. Where do you store the cassava chips?
In sacks _________On the ground _________
Raised platform _________
Floor/Room _________
In storage structures such as _________
· Kanbon _________ · Napogu _________
· Kpachagliga _________ · Kunchun _________
Others, specify _________
505. How many storage structures do you posses and the name of these structure(s)?
Number of structures _________Name of structures types _________
506. Describe the storage and drying structure (sketch or rough draft).
507. Did you erect a new storage or drying structure this season?
No _________ Yes _________ and which structure?
508. What are the estimated costs for constructing a storage or drying structure?
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Drying structure |
Storing structure | ||
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Cost component |
Costs in Cedis |
Cost component |
Costs in Cedis |
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Poles |
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Poles |
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Grass |
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Grass |
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Zanamats |
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Zanamats |
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Strings |
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Strings |
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Labour |
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Labour |
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509 How many sacks or pans of cassava kokonte fill you storage structure(s)? (3 pans = 1 sack)
Structure _________ Filling _________ capacity _________
510. Do you store the cassava kokonte somewhere else before you place the chips in your main storage structure?
No _________
Yes _________, and where _________ and for how long? _________
511. Do you hire any labour constructing the storage or drying structures?
No _________ Yes _________
512. What other crops do you dry and store in the so-called cassava structures?
Other crops in drying structure _________
Other crops in storing structure _________
513. What type of wood do you use for the drying and/or storage structures?
Type of wood: drying structure _________ storing structure _________
514 What kind of repairs did you perform on your storage structure last season?
Replacing poles _________
Replacing zanamats and grass _________
Others, specify _________
515 How durable are the drying and/or storage structures? Specify in months or years.
Drying structure _________ Storing structure
516. Who is storing the chips in the structure?
men _________ women _________ both
517. Who controls or is responsible for the storage structure and its content?
men _________ women _________ both _________
518. How do women store their own cassava produce?
Storage structures _________ Sacks _________
Others, specify _________
519. How do women protect their cassava kokonte?
Insecticides _________
Regularly checks of the produce _________
Natural materials (specify) _________
No protection _________
520. How long do you store cassava kokonte?
Days _________ Weeks _________Months _________
521. Who is responsible for the removal of cassava kokonte?
men _________ women
522. How often is cassava kokonte removed from the structure(s)?
daily _________ weekly _________
monthly _________ others, specify _________
523. How much is removed for consumption each time from the storage structure(s)?
Pans _________ Sacks _________
Others, specify _________
6. Checking, controlling of the cassava kokonte during storage and related problems
601. What are the main problems when drying cassava kokonte?
mould _________ insects _________ rodents _________
theft _________ others _________
602. What are the main problems when storing cassava kokonte at the beginning of storage season?
mould _________ insects _________ rodents
theft _________ others _________
603. What are the main problems by the end of the storage season?
mould _________ insects _________ rodents _________
theft _________ others _________
604. Do you check regularly the stored produce? No _________ Yes _________
605. If yes, how many times do you check the stored produce during the storage season?
once in a while _________ every month _________
every week _________
every time when chips are removed _________
606. What do you do if you have serious problems during your storage period?
removing of cassava kokonte for further drying _________
additional buying of cassava kokonte _________
using as animal fodder _________
others, specify _________
607. Do you apply any storage protectants to the stored produce?
No _________ Yes _________, specify:Insecticides _________
traditional means _________
others _________
608. If you use chemicals - how do you apply it?
dipping _________ spraying _________
dusting _________ others, specify _________
609. How did you protect the cassava kokonte in the past?
Traditional means _________ Insecticides _________
Others, specify _________
610. Do you apply storage protection for kokonte that is sold or also to the portion which is consumed?
Only for chips which are sold _________
Only for the chips which are consumed for both portions _________
611. How do you perceive your storage losses in terms of severeness?
severe _________ moderate _________
negligible _________
612. Are you able to estimate the range of loss in percentage (consider the total amount of stored produce)?
loss in % _________ loss in sacks or pans _________
613. Why are chips getting attacked/infested? (Describe)
614. Which cassava variety is the most difficult to store? (Describe)
615. Do you detect any problems on your wooden structures?
No _________ Yes _________, specify _________
616. What type of wood is more susceptible to infestation? _________
617. Do you have to acquire additional cassava during the storage season?
No _________ Yes _________
618. If yes, what is the reason for additional buying of cassava kokonte?
family size _________ amount of stored to less _________
storage problems _________ others, specify _________
619. How do you prepare your storage structure before the next storage season?
cleaning _________ repairing _________
other methods _________
620. Are any extension messages on storage of cassava kokonte available?
No _________ Yes _________
621. If yes, what kind of advises?
leaflets _________ farmer gatherings _________
farmer meetings _________ field days _________
622. Is there any extension officer who advises you? No _________ Yes _________
623. What do you think you could do to solve the above described problems?
624. How do you think could the MOFA help you solving the described problems?
7. Marketing
701. Are you selling cassava kokonte? No _________ Yes _________
If yes, because of:
Financial problems _________
problems with stored product _________
others, specify _________
702. To whom do you sell your produce?
famers, neighbours _________ marketwomen/men _________
others, specify _________
703. Do you sell regularly cassava kokonte? No _________ Yes _________
704. Which cassava variety fetches the highest price?
705. Who gets the income when selling cassava chips?
706. How do you see the profitability of selling cassava kokonte?
Very good business _________
Future potential is very good _________
Only for subsistence _________
Others, specify _________
707. Do you use cassava kokonte for other purposes than consumption and sale?
No _________ Yes _________, specify _________
708. If your wife sells cassava kokonte, tell us the distance to the closest market places?
709. Why do you sell mainly cassava kokonte and no other cassava produces?
Yes _________No _________, specify _________
710. If you market cassava kokonte, do you hire vehicles? No _________Yes _________
Appendix II
Table A: Exchange rates (1 DM in Cedis) between 1990 and 1995
|
Month |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
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January |
- |
229 |
248 |
339 |
481 |
674 |
|
February |
- |
237 |
242 |
355 |
525 |
690 |
|
March |
182 |
224 |
240 |
273 |
534 |
733 |
|
April |
186 |
213 |
249 |
379 |
535 |
750 |
|
May |
194 |
212 |
253 |
379 |
540 |
780 |
|
June |
194 |
206 |
258 |
377 |
555 |
790 |
|
July |
204 |
207 |
277 |
384 |
587 |
830 |
|
August |
213 |
213 |
306 |
391 |
600 |
835 |
|
September |
215 |
219 |
322 |
400 |
612 |
835 |
|
October |
223 |
221 |
335 |
413 |
630 |
926 |
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November |
230 |
232 |
320 |
433 |
651 |
970 |
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December |
231 |
244 |
332 |
463 |
667 |
1000 |
Source: Barclays Bank, Tamale, Ghana, 1995
Cassava occupies an important position in Ghana's agricultural economy and accounts for a daily calorie intake of about 30%.
In the North of Ghana the highly perishable cassava root is preserved by peeling and cutting it into pieces before sundrying. After sun-drying the cassava chips (kokonte) are kept in storage structures for 6-8 months. The major cause of loss during storage is infestation by insects. Data on post-harvest loss of cassava are scarce, this is probably related to the fact that cassava is regarded as of low commercial value and no well-established methods exist to assess storage loss.
Loss-assessment studies are an useful tool for appraising the current situation in the post-harvest sector and current effects on food security.
The present study paid particular attention to the comparative analysis of various methodological approaches. The mere quantification of post-harvest loss was put into a wider perspective and important factors such as qualitative loss and other losses within the post-harvest system, perception of farmers and socio-economic relevant data were considered.
