THE AGONIES OF COVID 19 ON VEGETABLE FARMERS ALONG THE WHITE VOLTA RIVER BASIN IN THE UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA

 THE AGONIES OF COVID 19 ON VEGETABLE FARMERS ALONG THE WHITE VOLTA RIVER BASIN IN THE UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA

Benjamin Bilalam Jabik

University of Energy and Natural Resources, Post Office Box 214, Sunyani, Ghana

ABSTRACT

The emergence of COVID 19 coupled with the enforcement of its safety protocols, coincided with the peak of harvesting and sale of perishable vegetables in the 2020 dry season farming period in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Using a qualitative approach, this study investigates the effects of the pandemic on vegetable farmers along the White Volta River Basin in the Region. The findings are that there were disrupted supply and demand in the production-consumption chain resulting in low sales; a shortage of hired labor; and high stigmatization. Farmers had few alternatives other than to leave their food stuff to rot on the farm, use the produce to feed livestock, or smuggle of the produce across borders. The implications are that the COVID 19 pandemic compounded the susceptibility of small-scale vegetable farmers in the region. Their resilience and household income levels are adversely affected.

KEYWORDS

COVID 19, safety protocols, vegetable farmers, resilience, food supply chain

https://aircconline.com/ijmvsc/V12N3/12321ijmvsc01.pdf

https://airccse.org/journal/mvsc/vol12.html