https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2026.14458
Potential impacts of sales practices on the postharvest quality of yams in Burkina Faso
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 17 March 2026
Yams are a major staple food in Burkina Faso, consumed both raw and processed. This study investigated yam marketing practices and the socio-demographic and socio-economic profiles of sellers in the markets in Burkina Faso. Data were collected through questionnaires covering age, gender, varieties, storage conditions, and yam prices, complemented by direct observations of sales and storage methods. Results showed that yam marketing is largely dominated by women, with most sellers being young and averaging 10 years of experience, while older sellers tended to have longer experience. Nearly half of the respondents (48%) had no formal schooling. The main varieties marketed were American (49%), Gona (36%), and Tila (8%), belonging to Dioscorea alata and Dioscorea rotundata-cayenensis. Storage practices revealed that 59% of sellers kept yams in the open air, whereas 41% used closed containers, resulting in estimated postharvest losses of 76% from rotting, 18% from drying, and 6% from softening. Rotting was mainly associated with inadequate storage conditions (49%), high temperatures (32%), fertilizer use (14%), and pesticides (5%). Most yams originated from local production areas, particularly Gaoua (21%), Bobo-Dioulasso (11%), Banfora (8%), and Mangodara (6%). Sellers primarily sourced supplies from wholesalers and farmers, who also stored yams before sale. Market prices ranged from 200 to 700 F CFA/kg. Beyond its dietary role, the yam trade represents an important economic activity, with daily earnings varying between 2000 and more than 50,000 F CFA depending on the variety and seller type. These findings highlight the need to improve sales and storage practices to reduce losses, enhance yam quality, and protect consumer health.
Downloads
Assiri KP, Koutoua S, Assi ST, 2017. Champignons responsables de pourritures de l’igname Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata variété kponan en post-récolte. J Appl Biosci 111:10957-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/jab.v111i1.12
Adjovi YCS, Gnonlonfin BJG, Bailly S, Bailly JD, Tadrist S, Puel O, Oswald IP, Sanni A, 2015. Occurrence of mycotoxins in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and its products. Int J Food Saf Nutr Public Health 5:217‑47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJFSNPH.2015.070157
Bastos-Moreira Y, Argaw A, Dailey-Chwalibóg T, El-Hafi J, Ouédraogo LO, Toe LC, De Saeger S, Lachat C, De Boevre M, 2024. Prenatal ochratoxin A exposure, birth outcomes and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: a human biomonitoring sub-study from the MISAME-III trial. Emerging Contaminants 10: 100355. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100355
Damtew A, 2021. Review on postharvest handlingactices of root and tuber crops review on postharvest handling practices of root and tuber crops. J Plant Breed Crop Sci 8:992-1000.
Esheli M, Thissera B, El-Seedi HR, Rateb ME, 2022. Fungal metabolites in human health and diseases — an overview. Encyclopedia 2:1590-601. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2030108
FAO, 2012. L’état de l’insécurité alimentaire dans le monde. Available from: https://www.fao.org/4/i2845f/i2845f00.pdf [Material in French]
FAO, 2021. La situation mondiale de l’alimentation et de l’agriculture 2021. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4476fr. [Material in French] DOI: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4476fr
FAOSTAT, 2021. Apparent intake (based on household consumption and expenditure surveys): Burkina Faso 2019 and 2022. Available from: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/HCES.
Mshelia LP, Selamat J, Samsudin NIP, 2023. Strategies for controlling and decontaminating mycotoxins in foods and feeds: a review. Int Food Res J 30:1351-69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/ifrj.30.6.01
Nyumba TO, Wilson K, Derrick CJ, Mukherjee N, 2018. The use of focus group discussion methodology: insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods Ecol Evol 9:20-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12860
Onyeka T, Petro D, Ano G, Etienne S, Rubens S, 2006. Resistance in water yams cultivars in the French Indies to anthracnose disease based on tissue culture-derived whole-plant assay. Plant Patol 55:671‑8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2006.01436.x
Sory S, Traoré RE, Cissé M, Tiama D, Bationo/Kando P, 2021. Diversité variétale et conservation des ignames cultivées au Burkina Faso. Communication présentée au Colloque international «Regards croisés sur les territoires en crise et sécurité alimentaire en Afrique subsaharienne», Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire, octobre 12-14. [Material in French].
Souratié W, Koinda F, Decaluwé B, Samandoulougou R, 2019. Politiques agricoles, emploi et revenu des femmes au Burkina Faso. RDD 27:101-27. [Material in French]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/edd.333.0101
Serhier Z, Bendahhou K, Abdelaziz AB, Bennani M, 2020. Fiche n°1: comment calculer la taille d’un échantillon pour une étude observationnelle. Available from: https://applications.emro.who.int/imemrf/455/Tunisie-Med-2020-98-1-1-7-fre.pdf. [Material in French].
Tiama D, Zoundjihekpom J, Bationo Kando P, Sawadogo N, Nebié B, Nanema RK, Traoré ER, Tao I, Sawadogo M, Zongo JD, 2016. Les ignames, «Yuya», de la province du Passoré au Burkina Faso. Int J Innov Appl Stud 14:1075-85.
Zhang J, Liu X, Su Y, Li T, 2022. An update on T2-toxins: Metabolism, immunotoxicity mechanism and human assessment exposure of intestinal microbiota. Heliyon 8:e10012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10012
CRediT authorship contribution
Ouryagala Dominique Sanou: writing - original draft preparation. Idrissa Ouedraogo: writing - review and editing. Ramata Tou: formal analysis. Balamoussa Santara: data curation, methodology. Kiessoun Konate: supervision, editing. Lassina Ouattara: supervision.
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.