Knowledge of Artisanal Potash Based on Agricultural Produce in Cote d’Ivoire

Abstract

Artisanal potash is a product derived from the co-products of foods consumed in households and agricultural crops. The main objective of this study is to identify the different co-products used for the production of potash and the different process of manufacturing artisanal potash and the different areas of use thereof. To carry out our work a survey has been completed in seven cities of Côte d'Ivoire from March 2020 to 20 March 2021. Sixty-five people have been interrogated from an already pre-established question in order to collect their knowledge of artisanal potash. The questionnaire and data processing were performed using the Sphinx software. The co-products used for the manufacture of potash are various, and the most used are cocoa (13.8%) and coffee pane (12.3%). As for the manufacturing processes, the different processes listed are identical irrespective of the co-product used. The steps of the artisanal manufacturing process are: the co-product collection chooses, the incineration, the anchorage of the ashes, the draining, the separation of the nerve and the supernatant, the preparation and solidification of the potash. Also, potash is used in various fields. It is more used in the food field with a proportion of 90.8%. Agricultural co-produces used for the manufacture of artisanal potash are various and the manufacturing processes are identical. Knowledge of co-producers and the optimization of the manufacturing process of artisanal potash is a necessity for rural populations and the valuation of co-producers is a means of protecting the environment and economics.