Know your yams: a manual on some Ghanaian yams

Abstract

This publication is an output of a research project called Gains from Losses of Root and Tuber Crops (GRATITUDE Project). This project was aimed at reducing three types of post-harvest losses in cassava and yam in order to enhance the role that these crops play in food and income security for small-holder households. The three impact pathways of the Gratitude Project was (i) reduction of physical losses - focusing on fresh yams storage, (ii) value added processing reducing physical and economic losses in yam and cassava and (iii) improved utilization of wastes (peels, liquid waste, spent brewery waste) producing products for human consumption including snack foods, mushrooms and animal feed. In addressing the first pathway of the GRATITUDE Project, this training manual was developed to enhance the identification of some key farmers' yam varieties in Ghana. This manual would assist all yam value chain actors such as farmers, harvesters, loaders, transporters, processors, exporters, wholesalers, retailers, consumers in identifying some of the key farmers' yam varieties in Ghana