Introduction
Representing the middle belt of Ghana, Kumasi is the capital town of Ashanti Region and the second largest city in Ghana with a population of 1.0 million and an annual growth rate of about 6 %. Kumasi has a total area of 225 km² of which about 40% is an open land. It has a semi-humid tropical climate and lies in the tropical forest zone with an annual average rainfall of 1420 mm spread over about 120 days. The rainfall pattern of the town is bimodal with the major season falling between the months of March and July and a minor rainy season in September/October. The mean monthly temperature of the area ranges from 240C to 270C.
Types and Characteristics of UA
There are about 1,500 registered commercial farms in the city boundary, many specialised in poultry, about 200 vegetable farmers on open spaces, as well as, about 80,000 households with some kind of backyard garden. About 90% of fresh leafy vegetables (for example, lettuce, cabbage sweet pepper and spring onions), poultry products and milk consumed in Kumasi are derived from farming in the city or its immediate fringes. In periurban areas, farmers might own the land or are engaged in share cropping tenancy agreements (“abunu” or “abusa”- farmers give half or a third, respectively, of total farm produce to the landowner as payment for use of the land). In periurban Kumasi, women and men play similar roles in crop production while urban vegetable farming is mostly done by men. Women however play a major role crop marketing in both cases.
The major crops cultivated by urban farmers are lettuce, cabbage, spring onions, carrots, radish, cauliflower, as well as “ayoyo” (Corchorus sp.) and “alefi” (Amaranthus sp.). The farmers cultivate these crops year round, mostly with manual irrigation, and vary crop according to their own specialisation and market demand. In peri-urban agriculture, farmers rely on traditional and largely subsistence maize and cassava rain-fed farming. Close to streams or where shallow wells can be dug, many farmers cultivate okra, tomatoes, peppers, or cabbage for the urban markets.
Poultry and egg production is a vital part of Kumasi’s UPA and practised by people from all social sectors. It is the most profitable and attractive forms of livestock farming. Farmers in the city and its fringes benefits from the large amounts of poultry manure generated, offering access to cheap but high quality fertiliser. Only a few farmers use mineral fertiliser. However in peri-urban Kumasi, many more use mineral fertiliser in combination with poultry manure. About 68% of the 94 fish farmers (2000 data) around the metropolis manure their fish ponds with the poultry litter. However, with the increasing competition for this resource, the manure is seldom stored long enough to prevent the contamination of food and water with pathogens.
There are up to 500 regular cattle owners in the metropolis. Sheep and goats are also kept. Most livestock are kept for cash income either on a full or supplementary basis, and provide meat for more than 13,000 “chop bars” (street restaurants) in the city. In minority cases are livestock kept for subsistence. Pig production is comparatively small but a growing sector. There is a range of farmers specialising in small animals such as grasscutters, rabbit, snails, as well as a number of fish farmers (aquaculture).
The main constraints of development of UA in Accra and Kumasi have been access to land and water as well as credit and manure/fertilizer. Tenure agreements are informal, support services are not adequate. Farmers complain about price fluctuations for farm produce and low prices offered by middlemen. 28.02.07uming activity.
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