TRADITIONAL STORAGE PRACTICES ON THE QUALITY OF MAIZE A CASE STUDY IN THE SHAI OSUDOKU DISTRICT IN THE GREATER ACCRA REGION.

ABSTRACT

Maize (corn) is one of the most crucial and strategic cereal crops in Africa. Production occurs in all ten regions of Ghana. Despite significant improvement in food storage methods, many communities in Ghana still use traditional storage practices and structures for keeping food and seed. This has led to short falls in maize supply due to high losses and poor quality. Thus the need to determine the effect of traditional practices and storage structures on the quality of maize stored. The objective of the research was to study the traditional storage practices on the quality of maize in Shai-Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Field observations, survey and laboratory experiments were the research methods used to collect information on the farmers storage practices, structures used and the perceptions of farmers towards quality. Weight loss, grain discolouration, germination rate, moisture content, insect and foreign matter counts were the quality attributes measured in the laboratory. The results indicated that most of the storage practices undertaken by the farmers did not protect the maize quality produced but rather promoted their destruction. The storage structures identified were inefficient in protecting the grains stored from fire, pest attacks, theft, harsh environmental conditions and finally they are not durable. Maize taken from Agomeda community (Hermetic and Sack storage structures) were observed to have the highest quality as a results of high efficient storage practices and structures undertaken by the farmers to preserve the high variety of maize they cultivate. Maize farmers should partner with other stakeholders to be trained on good storage practices and structure management of maize grains. Further work should be conducted to ascertain the effect these practices and structures have on the chemical quality attributes of the maize grains stored.