Modern agricultural supply chains have been playing an increasingly important role in developing countries and have had significant effects on rural labor markets. This article analyses the effects of smallholder farmer participation in export vegetable supply chains in Northern Tanzania on both household hired labor demand and off-farm labor supply, using an age-disaggregated approach. In our sample, neither separability nor exogeneity of smallholder farmer participation in export supply chains can be rejected. Hence, we apply lognormal double-hurdle models and find that participation in export supply chains positively affects households' decision to hire labor from all age groups. We also find that it increases the unconditional overall level of hired labor demand, while the age-disaggregated analysis shows that these effects mostly benefit rural youth. However, our sample does not allow us to establish statistically significant evidence of an effect on household off-farm labor supply although the point estimates point to nonnegligible positive effect sizes.JEL classifications: I31, J43, O12, Q12

The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected the supply of perishable foods such as vegetables, which could adversely affect food and nutrition security. Here, we study the mechanisms by which COVID-19 has affected vegetable production and the coping strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. We use cross-sectional data collected through individual interviews on a random sample of 521 vegetable producers in north-western Nigeria. The perceptions of respondents, measured on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1—not affected, to 5—severely affected), shows that COVID-19 had an average effect of 3.07 (±1.23) on vegetable production. Farmers also reported challenges in accessing farm inputs and storing or selling fresh vegetable produced. In response, farmers reduced market-oriented vegetable production, produced more vegetables for own consumption, added value through own home processing and storage, explored new markets, and accepted lower farmgate selling prices. A multivariate probit regression shows that socio-economic factors such as age, household size, marital status, challenges in accessing inputs, and perceptions of the effects of COVID-19 influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt particular coping strategies. To sustain vegetable supplies, policy makers should consider investing more in market-oriented strategies such as vegetable processing and storage, which individual farmers may not be able to afford due to high costs, lack of information and required knowledge on good agronomic practices, postharvest handling, storage and market. Public extension services can contribute to help farmers to adapt better.

Objective: To evaluate the potential of products made out of underutilized fruits and vegetables for closing seasonal nutritional gaps among rural and urban consumers in East Africa. Design: The multinational analysis combines sensory testing and experimental auctions to assess consumers’ perceptions and willingness to pay for six different fruit and vegetable products. Setting: Open markets in rural and urban areas in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Participants: There were 939 male and female adults who were at least 18 years old. Results: Tobit models for each product show that besides sensory perception, similar sociodemographic characteristics influence consumers’ willingness to pay for these products in all three countries. The products are especially liked among younger, male, and urban consumers. Conclusion: We conclude that there is demand and a market for processed fruit and vegetable products based on indigenous raw material in East Africa. The products, thus, have promising potential to improve nutrition, especially during off-season conditions when access to fresh produce is limited.

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