Packaging of indigenous vegetables in the Northern Region, Ghana

Abstract

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.