Poor transport and storage systems contribute to post-harvest losses in Ghana – Mathias Yabe
The absence of appropriate transportation and storage systems is contributing to post-harvest losses among farmers, particularly those dealing with highly perishable crops, social entrepreneur and innovator Mathias Charles Yabe has said. Speaking on the 13th edition of the Loud and Green X-Space on JoyNews, Mr Yabe said the transportation of fresh produce could result in significant losses before…
Poor transport and storage systems are contributing to post-harvest losses among farmers in Ghana, according to Mathias Charles Yabe, a social entrepreneur and innovator. Speaking on JoyNews' Loud and Green X-Space, Mr Yabe highlighted how the transportation of perishable crops, such as lettuce, can result in significant losses prior to reaching consumers.
He provided an example of a lettuce farmer near the Dodowa Road who previously transported the produce by Aboboya to a lorry station and then by trotro. Mr Yabe explained that during this journey, the produce could break and wilt, reducing the farmer's earnings. For instance, if the farmer initially expected to make GH¢1,500, she may end up with only GH¢700 by the time she reaches the buyer.
Mr Yabe emphasized that these losses should not solely be attributed to the farmer but rather serve as evidence for the need to develop better systems to transport perishable produce from farms to markets. To address this challenge, Agrofresh, a company founded by Mr Yabe, introduced a solar-powered refrigerated tricycle. This tricycle served as a complementary solution to stationary and mobile refrigerated units.
A pilot program of the tricycle, conducted in collaboration with the Netherlands Embassy, Holland Green Tech, and Eden Tree, yielded positive results. One participating farmer reported zero losses when using the refrigerated tricycle for produce delivery. The initiative is part of Agrofresh's broader effort to reduce post-harvest losses through solar-powered refrigeration.
Mr Yabe also mentioned the company's construction of refrigeration units that can be installed on farms and in communities to preserve fresh produce for longer periods, extending its shelf life from five days to up to 21 days. This approach is particularly relevant for farming communities where limited access to electricity makes conventional refrigeration difficult.
The discussion on opportunities arising from Ghana's climate challenges was part of the 13th edition of the Loud and Green X-Space.
Written by urgent.news from Joy Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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