Introduction
Tamale is the capital of the Northern Region, covering an area of about 930 km2 including the city itself and about thirty surrounding villages. The population of Tamale city is about 200,000 with a comparatively low growth rate of 2.5% (Ghana Statistical Services, 2000). The municipality of Tamale is the most urbanised district in the entire northern part of Ghana. It lies within the Guinea savannah agro-ecological zone characterised by high temperatures and one rainy season (<1,000mm), falling between April and October. The other months are dry leaving the agricultural sector to thrive on only meagre water resources obtained from small dams and dug-outs. There are few seasonal streams, with enough water during the rainy season and dry up during the dry season. The dry season lasts usually from November to March. Maximum day temperatures range from 33ºC – 42ºC while minimum night temperatures range from 20ºC – 22ºC. Average relative humidity is 90% during the day and 96% in the night.
Types and Characteristics of UA
Urban gardening is the important source of vegetables for the urban population. Crops grown in the gardens include maize, cabbage, carrots, local leafy vegetables, tomatoes and many fruit types, such as papaya, banana, and mango.
Most of the farmers are young men (traditional rules do not allow women to own land), comprising of school drop-outs or students who could not continue their education due to financial constraints, and who do vegetable gardening as part-time occupation, supplementing other sources of income. Very few of the farmers use compost on their plots; however, most farmers use both organic and inorganic fertiliser. They usually apply water using buckets or watering cans once or twice a day.
Generally, between 40 and 80% of urban farmers in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale consider urban farming to be their main income-generating activity. For most of them it is their only income source.
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