Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

368 Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential

B. Results from focus group discussions with smallholder processors

Detailed discussions on production and marketing were held with two processor groups at Damang and

Nkwantanang. Given the similarities in their responses, only the Nkwantanang FGD will be discussed here.

Members of the Nkwantanang FGD belong to a group called the Mmoa Kuo Processing Group, which was

formed in 2004 with a total membership of 35 (10 male, 25 female). They describe their scale of processing

as small to medium, with commercial orientation, and they sell in the local market and to traders who then

sell in markets in Accra, Togo and Nigeria. The group’s main products, in order of importance, are Zoomi (a

specially prepared palm oil for cooking), palm oil for cooking and oil for soap.

The group sources their raw materials from the open market. Sometimes members who are also

smallholder farmers, sell their produce to the group for processing. The group’s processing extractor

and mill equipment are ten and five years old, respectively, and their digesters and extractors are

nine and four years old, respectively. They classify their method of processing as mechanical, and the

technology as advanced. They acquired the engine for their machine from Accra, and when it breaks

down local artisans are able to manufacture some of the machine parts for them.

Product (palm oil) quality is determined mostly by visual inspection. The group members use clean for cooking

the palm fruits. Output quality is determined by observing the red colour during inspection. Overall, however,

they classify the quality of their product as “medium”. The group members readily admit that they need

training to address their output quality and also on how to maintain sanitation quality.

Group members are optimistic about expanding in the future. They see the need for expansion in order to

produce PKO and other products and therefore they intend to install seed crushers. Among the reasons to

expand processing activities: (a) a high demand from exporters; and (b) increased income from processing.

They plan also to expand and upgrade their processing by buying an improved processing machine that

can digest and extract at the same time. Such a machine currently costs GHC 5 000 and they have not yet

mobilized the required funds; they are appealing for external assistance in this regard.

Box 1. A Smallholder “Large-scale” Producer at Pramkese (Cont.)

The private farmer is quick to conclude that oilpalm production is currently very profitable relative to citrus and

cocoa. The farmer has a household size of 6 and provides household labor use on his oil palm production as:

Source: authors interviews

Production activities Number of males/females involved in production activities

No. of males No. of females Total males

in household

Total females

in household

Fresh fruit bunch production 4 2 4 2

Palm oil processing 0 1

Harvesting services 4 0

Fresh fruit bunch marketing 4 0

Palm oil marketing 1