Hygienic Practices Among Vegetable Sellers: Empirical Evidence from Agona Market in the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region

The study focused on assessing the hygiene practices among vegetable sellers in Agona Market in the
Sekyere south district of the Ashanti Region. The study used exploratory descriptive research design with both
qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data. Two Instruments comprising semi-structured interview and
structured questionnaires were used. The total sample size was 288, made up of 286 vegetable sellers in Agona
Market in the Sekyere south district and two (2) senior staff from the health and sanitation units of the Sekyere
south district. Convenient sampling and purposive sampling were used to recruit the respondent for this study. All
the 286 vegetable sellers were issued a questionnaire, enough time was taken to breakdown all aspects of the
questionnaire to them. The researcher had to resort to the various local dialect like Akan (Twi), Hausa, Ga and
Dagbani to explain and translate most parts of the questionnaire to the understanding of the respondents. the study
found low or insufficient hygiene knowledge among the vegetable Sellers in Agona Market in the Sekyere south
district of the Ashanti Region. However, the respondents observe found good hygiene practices, irrespective of
their low educational background and poor food hygiene knowledge. This study also found that though the sanitary
conditions of the respondents' environment is not hygienic and conductive, some of the vegetable vendors and
customers seem not extremely worried about the situation. Finally, this study found; mass education enforcement
of the sanitation laws, regular health screening, clearing choked gutter and drainage systems, stakeholder
consultation among others. As some of the measures put in place by the district assembly in ensuring food hygiene
among the vegetable sellers in Agona Market in the Sekyere south district. Based on the findings of the study, this
study recommended that the Sekyere south district of the Ashanti Region need to liaise with the appropriate
stakeholders and institutions to develop and implement periodic public education programmes to inform market
users about food hygiene, food safety, waste generation and management in order to change their attitudes toward
the maintenance of food hygiene in the markets.