Smallholder farmers’ knowledge, practices and perceptions associated with grain storage and hermetic technology in southern Ghana: Implications for awareness and training

Abstract

Hermetic grain storage (HGS) bags are simple and appropriate to effectively protect stored grains against pests and aflatoxins in areas where effective facilities are lacking. This study assessed farmers’ knowledge and perceptions associated with current practices, awareness-facilitating agents, and HGS bags in interior southern Ghana. The main objective was to provide information that can be included in sensitization and awareness creation programs to increase adoption of HGS bags for sustainable production of grain crops, food security, income-generation, and livelihood improvement across farming communities in selected areas in southern Ghana. Therefore, 925 smallholder farmers were randomly selected and interviewed across three districts (or municipals), which included West Akim Municipal, Ayensuano District, and Suhum Municipal in southern Ghana, using a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection and analysis. The results showed that 95.24% of farmers were still using ineffective grain storage approaches to store grains. Average awareness level about HGS bags among farmers was ≤30%, whereas adoption of HGS bags was very low (4.76%). However, awareness and adoption were mostly observed in West Akim Municipal. Although awareness was significantly dependent on numerous demographic and farming factors, it had significant positive correlations with ‘female farmers’ and respondents’ age-range (36–50 years) only; it suggests that if these two factors are considered in sensitization programs, they will increase awareness about HGS bags. The most performing awareness-facilitating agent was the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, followed by famers’ neighbors. Nonetheless, farmers (who were aware of or adopted HGS bags) were facing challenges or limitations. Hence, the need for training smallholder farmers has been discussed.