VEGETABLE MARKETING IN UPPER WEST REGION OF GHANA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF URBAN AND SEMI-URBAN COMMUNITIES

Abstract

A study was conducted in the Upper West region of Ghana on comparative analysis of vegetable marketing in urban and semi-urban communities. The objectives of the study included (i) investigating and comparing the profit margins for the urban and semi-urban areas, and (ii) identifying the marketing problems being faced by the vegetable marketeers. The "mixed method" design was adopted for the study. Primary and secondary data were used to accomplish the objectives or the study. Wu central market, Fadama market, Wechiau Market, and Dorimon market, were purposefully selected for the study. Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) theory was used to determine the number of marketeers to be taken from each market centre from a marketeers' stratum until a statistically determined sample size wa« obtained, In all one hundred and ninety-six (196) vegetable marketeers (153 urban marketers and -U semi-urban marketeers) were finalised for all four marketing centres. The costbenefit analysis indicates that both the gross margin profits and net profits per unit order are higher for marketeers in semi-urban areas than they are for marketeers in urban areas. Urban marketeers operate in a more competitive market structure and seek to increase their profits through handling larger volumes of business as opposed to semi-urban marketeers whose instrument to seek higher profits lies in the price. The study indicates that some of the problems the marketeers face are unique and area specific while others are common for every vegetable marketeer in Upper West region. Lack of representation, lack of support ser ices, and lad. or appropriate business skills, are among the common problems, while lawlessness and business fluctuation tend to be unique and area specific. In general" marketeers do not make meaningful investment in their business. The women who dominate the business undertake it purely to supplement the income of husbands and contribute to household food security. Some vegetables are more appealing in certain areas than others and thus earn more. In order for marketeers to make profit, they should select vegetables that give them reasonable profits; they should select vegetables that will give them reasonable returns. In order to have more representatix e results. future research involving a similar study should be undertaken to cover rural areas or periurban areas. There is need for governments to formulate and strengthen the rules regarding vegetable marketing in order to protect the marketeers, and ensure that vegetables are sold under hygienic conditions. Vegetable researchers should extend their studies to aspects of vegetable marketing rather than focus solely on vegetable production. Government should lobby for formulation of some institutional framework through which marketeers could be represented and through which business skills could be enhanced. The researchers need to determine the vegetable consumption per capita. This information could be very useful to policy makers anti planners but has never been made available.