Developing biomass-based value chain of plantain and reduce postharvest losses of plantain through the development of value added products for small scale farmers and processors in two regions in Ghana

Abstract

This baseline survey sets the benchmark for developing plantain biomass-based value chain with the aim of reducing post-harvest losses through the development and transfer of value added products. The survey sought to (i) identify the actors and their roles along the plantain value chain (ii) understand the plantain value chain activities, and (iii) identify value addition opportunities that will help reduce post-harvest losses of plantains. Two key data collection methods were used: (i) one-on-one structured interviews and (ii) focus group discussions. A total of 309 plantain value chain actors including producers, processors, traders, caterers and consumers were covered in the Brong Ahafo and Western Regions of Ghana. Findings covered the biomass-based value chain assessments, gender roles, levels of post-harvest losses and identification of market potentials along the entire plantain value chain. The study estimated post-harvest losses of up to 20% at the production, up to 15% at the market levels and less than 5% at the consumption level. The study found that plantains are traded mostly in the unprocessed form with about 83% of the plantains produced by the farmers interviewed sold unprocessed. Horizontal flow of the plantain commodity was prominent among actors with limited value addition at the processing level. By-products identified at the production level included leaves, stems/trunk, bunch and few peels with low utilization levels and basically left on the farm to decompose. Peels generated at the processing and consumption levels were used for animal feeding and soap making or disposed off in the refuse dump. Majority (70.6%) of the processors interviewed sold plantain peels for animal feeding. About 61.6% of the respondents at the consumption level used plantain peels to feed animals. About 35.7% of the respondents disposed plantain peels off into the refuse dump. Less than 1% of the respondents sold plantain peels for soap making. The cross cutting constraints among the actors were inadequate credit accessibility, high transportation cost, limited processing capacities, seasonality of plantains and fluctuation in prices, marketing challenges and losses during among others. Some recommendations made include intervention in the area of linking actors in the value chain to prospective buyers, taking advantage of improved varieties and possibility of staggering planting to get plantain all year round and research to improve on the existing coping measures to control losses as well as promotion of existing and new processed products (products (plantain fufu flour, plantain flour for pastry products) and development of new products from by-products along the plantain value chain