Until recently, breeding programs in Africa placed little emphasis on grain quality improvement. Consequently, some farmers have not adopted improved high yielding varieties because they lacked desired quality characteristics for processing and other end uses. We conducted this study to determine the effects of N application on some maize (Zea mays L.) grain quality parameters. In 1993 and 1994, five maize cultivars under four N levels (0, 30, 60, and 120 kg ha−1) were evaluated at Zaria (11° 11′ N), northern Nigeria, on a Plinthustalf (fine‐loamy isohyperthermic). Increasing N levels increased grain yield, kernel weight, and grain protein quadratically for all the cultivars. The hybrid 8644‐27 had the highest grain yield and kernel weight of 5.3 Mg ha−1 and 26.62 mg kernel−1, respectively. Average grain protein yield per unit area was not significantly different among cultivars in both years. At 30 to 60 kg N ha−1, the cultivars 8644‐27 and TZPB‐SR had a greater percentage of floaters, than the other cultivars in both years, reflecting a greater proportion of floury endosperm, indicating that they would be best for traditional dry milling, where the whole grain is ground to produce flour. Also, at 30 to 60 kg N ha−1, SPL and TZB‐SR had a relatively low percentage of floaters and high test weights of over 811 kg m−3 in 1993 and 778 kg m−3 in 1994, and should give high yields of grits when processed. Thus, both cultivars have high value for industrial dry milling. Results showed that the choice of cultivar and N level may affect grain quality and they should be considered in producing maize for dry milling purposes.
This study examines the food safety beliefs of vendors and consumers in a mid-sized Nigerian city using data from in-depth interviews and cognitive mapping techniques drawn from ethnography. We examine vendors’ and consumers’ perspectives on which foods are safe, which are not, and why; the place of foodborne illness among other health concerns and motivators of food choice; and how salient food safety is as a concern for vendors. The main perceived causes of unsafe food were found to be chemicals and insects; while bacterial illnesses were widely mentioned as a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms, these were not necessarily linked to food in consumers’ minds. Respondents agreed strongly that certain foods (e.g., cowpea, beef, green leafy vegetables, and local rice) were less safe than others. The importance of food safety as a choice motivator among consumers varies depending on framing: when asked directly, it was prominent and closely related to visible cleanliness, but concerns about food safety competed in consumers’ minds against other salient motivators of food and vendor choice, such as price. Most vendors did not see food safety, cleanliness, or hygiene as a key trait of a successful vendor, and just over half of vendors had any concern about the safety of their food. In conclusion, we note the implications for intervention designs, particularly the need to build upon consumers’ and vendors’ current beliefs and practices related to food safety in order to make foodborne disease prevention a more salient concern in food choice.
This paper uses detailed data from in-depth interviews with consumers (n = 47) and vendors (n = 37) in three traditional markets in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. We used observations from those markets to examine how consumers and vendors identify and avoid or manage food safety risks and whom they hold responsible and trust when it comes to ensuring food safety. At the level of the vendor, consumers mentioned seeking “clean” or “neat” vendors or stalls. Cleanliness was primarily related to the appearance of the vendor, stall, and surroundings; reliance on trusted, known vendors was also noted. Food products themselves were largely evaluated based on visual cues: insects, holes, and colors—with some reliance on smell, also. Similarly, vendors assessed safety of food from suppliers based on a visual assessment or reliance on trusted relationships. On the second research question, both consumers and vendors largely placed responsibility for ensuring food safety on government; when asked specifically, consumers also named specific steps that vendors could take to ensure food safety. Consumers and vendors also generally felt that they could limit many food safety risks through identifying the “good” products in the market or from suppliers. The paper discusses the implications of these results for behavior change interventions.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses and civil society, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people, especially the most vulnerable. Recommended citationObanubi M, Okoruwa A, Morris S, Nordhagen S, Djimeu Wouabe E, Yalch T. Business opportunities to reduce post-harvest loss of nutritious foods: Modelling the return on investment of field-ready technologies in Nigeria. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Working Paper #16
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.