Private Contracting Versus Community Seed Production Systems: Experiences From Farmer-Led Seed Enterprise Development of Indigenous Vegetables in Tanzania

Afari‐Sefa, Victor; Chagomoka, Takemore; Karanja, Daniel; Njeru, E.; Samali, S.; Katunzi, Alphonce; Mtwaenzi, H.; Kimenye, L.N.

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2013.1007.78

Cited by 23 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…With regards to seed systems, the results underscore the fact that access to quality seeds alone (for example; Afari-Sefa et al, 2013;Rohrbach et al, 2003), is not sufficient to address the critical bottlenecks in the seed supply and distribution system of traditional vegetables. Principally, traditional vegetable seeds must be made available for smallholders in a timely manner and well ahead of the commencement of the season to facilitate production of these nutrient-dense crops.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, the demand for traditional African vegetables has increased but lack of availability and accessibility of quality seeds of preferred varieties has not resulted in a corresponding increase in production, thereby reducing the ability of farmers to deliver improved produce to consumers (Afari-Sefa et al , 2013; Gotor and Irungu, 2010). This study therefore, included selected explanatory variables in the log-linear model, namely: farmers’ experiencing bottlenecks in access to traditional vegetable seeds in terms of timely availability, price and quality of seeds, cost of inputs and market demand trends through revenue from crop sales.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Impact of Nutritional Perceptions of Traditional African Vegetables on Farm Household Production Decisions: A Case Study of Smallholders in Tanzania

Afari‐Sefa¹,

Rajendran²,

Kessy³

et al. 2015

Ex. Agric.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYRecent years have seen increasing political interest and growing public health awareness and advocacy for diversifying diets into highly nutritious traditional vegetables, fruits and other nutrition-sensitive crops as a more viable approach to mitigate the growing scourge of malnutrition due to unhealthy and imbalanced diets. These foods contribute essential micronutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and other health-related phytochemicals to staple-based diets and their consumption is crucial for the attainment of several Millennium Development Goals. Despite their nutritional benefits and the high farm gate values per unit of land, the production and marketing of traditional vegetables from Tanzania and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa are constrained by factors such as poor quality seeds, lack of appropriate market information and support systems, and lack of consumer awareness of their nutritional importance. This paper investigates the determinants and pathways for smallholder participation in traditional African vegetable production and identifies entry points for farmers to increase traditional vegetable production by linking nutritional awareness and promotion with potential high value markets. A primary survey of 181 traditional vegetable growers from five regions of Tanzania indicates that perceptions about the nutritional value of traditional African vegetables are a main driver of household production decisions in the sector. The results of this study provide evidence that farmers tend to grow more African traditional vegetables as compared to other crops based on their increased level of perception towards nutritional value of traditional vegetables along with other factors such as their market value, timely availability of quality certified seeds, willingness to invest in labour, required training for women and better access to credits. Farm size negatively affects growing traditional vegetables, implying that on a comparative basis, smallholders tend to grow more traditional vegetables than larger-farm operators. Thus, more attention should be given to reducing production and its associated transaction costs by ensuring timely access to quality certified seeds, ensuring optimal use of inputs and increasing labour productivity, particularly for smallholders.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Nutritional Perceptions of Traditional African Vegetables on Farm Household Production Decisions: A Case Study of Smallholders in Tanzania

Afari‐Sefa¹,

Rajendran²,

Kessy³

et al. 2015

Ex. Agric.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although seed prices have a significant impact on output value, the value of the coefficient is lower than the coefficient of other inputs after excluding net operated area. Price may not be sensitive to farmers to increase their output value, as they mostly used own-saved seeds (Rohrbach et al, 2003;Afari-Sefa et al, 2013). Interestingly, the elasticity for fertilizer, labor and share of irrigated area under cultivation is higher compared to other inputs (chemicals, manure and seeds).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technical efficiency of traditional African vegetable production: A case study of smallholders in Tanzania

Rajendran¹,

Afari‐Sefa²,

Karanja³

et al. 2015

J. Dev. Agric. Econ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Traditional African vegetables are receiving more attention for their significant contribution to food and nutrition security and enhanced livelihoods of smallholders. Although demand is increasing for these nutrients-dense crops, the production of traditional vegetables in Tanzania remains low. Technical innovations can reduce yield gaps and increase the productivity of traditional vegetable crops. This paper measures the technical efficiency of farm households that produce traditional vegetables in Tanzania using a Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function. This study reports data from a primary survey of 181 households that cultivated traditional vegetables in five regions (Arusha, Tanga, Morogoro, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam) of Tanzania. The results show that overall mean technical efficiency is 67%. It indicates that if the average farmer of the sample could achieve the technical efficiency level of most efficient counterpart, then average farmers of the sample could increase their output by 27% with better use of available production resources given the current state of technology. Farmers were observed to be more technically efficient in the Arusha region than in the other study regions. Possible reasons for the observed regional difference include agroclimatic variability, access to extension services, and infrastructure facilities. A linear relationship exists between farm size and technical efficiency. The study concludes that strengthening farmer associations to encourage knowledge sharing and enhancing the existing cluster approach to farming may help to improve technical efficiency.

show abstract

“…Due to the rise of overnutrition and its health consequences in developing countries, there has been an increased public health awareness on proper nutrition. These efforts have led to more advocacy for diversified diets with highly nutritious vegetables [1]. The focus on plants has stimulated an interest in indigenous crops that have the potential to improve the nutritional status and livelihoods of millions of people living in middle and lowincome countries [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, with the onset of climate change, vegetable amaranth is now seen as an ideal crop due to its hardiness [5]. As a result, there is an increased awareness of the plant, education on its nutritional and overall health benefits, and the availability of improved recipes for home preparation [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hazard analysis and critical control point plan for hazards in Ugandan amaranth vegetable value chain

Aber¹,

Mulindwa²,

Lung’aho³

et al. 2019

AJFAND

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Currently, there is a high demand for amaranth due to its ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions, making it an ideal crop in the changing climate. There is also increased awareness and education on its nutritional and overall health benefits, and the availability of improved recipes. However, the presence of hazards can hinder the commercialisation of amaranth, which is in most cases traded informally. Food safety issues along the amaranth value chain should, therefore, be addressed to cope with both production and safety demands. The objective of this study, therefore, was to develop a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for hazards in the amaranth value chain in Uganda. The seven principles outlined by Codex Alimentarius were followed to develop the HACCP plan. A tree diagram was further used to identify each potential hazard at each processing stage and Critical Control Points (CCPs) along the chain. For the CCPs identified, reliable control mechanisms and corrective actions were established to fulfil the requirements set by the critical limits to guarantee the safety of the products. Verification and records systems were proposed to determine the effectiveness and traceability of the HACCP plan. For each of the identified CCPs, samples were collected purposively and analysed for chemical and microbial contaminants. From the analysis, fifteen processing stages, starting from the land section to cooking and serving, were identified. Out of these, eight stages were defined as CCPs. These were site selection, land and seedbed preparation, irrigation, market display/humidity control, washing before preparation, chopping, cooking, and holding time and serving. At CCP 1, soils were contaminated with lead and cadmium, mercury and aflatoxins but at considerably low levels. At CCP 2, organic fertilisers were only contaminated with E. coli. At CCP3, E. coli was present in irrigation water. Heavy metals were also present in the irrigation water but were below the critical limits. At CCP4, E. coli was absent in water and display surfaces. E. coli was, however, present on raw amaranth. S. aureus was detected on vendors' hands. At CCP5, water was not contaminated with E. coli. At CCP6, only personnel hands were infected with S. aureus and Enterobacteriaceae. No contamination was detected in CCP7 and CCP8. Strict control of E. coli in manure and water and S. aureus and Enterobacteriaceae on personnel hands is required to ensure the amaranth value chain attains good food safety output.

show abstract

Private Contracting Versus Community Seed Production Systems: Experiences From Farmer-Led Seed Enterprise Development of Indigenous Vegetables in Tanzania

Cited by 23 publications

References 0 publications

Impact of Nutritional Perceptions of Traditional African Vegetables on Farm Household Production Decisions: A Case Study of Smallholders in Tanzania

Impact of Nutritional Perceptions of Traditional African Vegetables on Farm Household Production Decisions: A Case Study of Smallholders in Tanzania

Technical efficiency of traditional African vegetable production: A case study of smallholders in Tanzania

Hazard analysis and critical control point plan for hazards in Ugandan amaranth vegetable value chain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About