Round potato (Solanum tuberosum) profitability and implications for variety selections in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Abstract

According to the standard economic theory that treats a person as a maximising agent of short run profit, it would be expected that farmers would select round potato varieties with the highest profit potential. However, previous studies treated round potato as one variety and other adoption studies often assumed that profitability was not important in the adoption of improved varieties. Therefore, this study analysed the profitability of round potato and the implications for variety selections by using a sample of 510 farmers drawn from three districts of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The main question was whether smallholder round potato farmers considered profit potentials or are there other factors in variety selections? The results showed that Kagiri was the most profitable variety and there were significant differences in profitability among varieties. However, not many farmers produced Kagiri because they used their own criteria in order to make profit. Such criteria included the availability of seed tubers, preferences of the local consumers and processors, common practices, yield, and suitability for home consumption. It was recommended that the role of plant breeders should go beyond the crop characteristics, such as, yield potential, response to inputs, and tolerance to diseases, so as to include both farmers and consumers' preferences.

Potential determinants of profits and market efficiency of potato market chains in Uganda

“…As experience increases, the market chain actor gains skills including how to prepare a product for the market, when to sell the product and value addition activities required by the market. In addition, experience reduces search costs as farmers learn by doing (Mpogole and Kadigi, 2012). Escobal (2001) also established that the more the number of years farmers spent in commercial potato trading, the greater was the organisational capital of the community where they lived and the greater was the probability that they would establish more stable trade relation with their buyers.…”

Assessment of operational aspects of the input supply chain under national agriculture input voucher scheme (NAIVS) in Tanzania

“…Age has been reported to be used as indicator of farming experience. Such experience makes certain information search and cost easier (Mpogole and Kadigi, 2012). In addition, aged male households have been associated with strong networks and better connection to community and village leaders.…”

Effect of Farmers’ Multidimensional Beliefs on Adoption of Biofortified Crops: Evidence from Sweetpotato Farmers in Tanzania

“…One such effort is the sweetpotato project implemented in Tanzania between 2009 and 2013. Tanzania was targeted by these promotional efforts because of the high incidence of poverty among rural farm households leading to poor nutritional outcomes (Mpogole & Kadigi, 2012), and the inability to access purchased food supplements needed to remedy vitamin A deficiency. The Tanzanian intervention was through a project known as 'Marando Bora', a Kiswahili word for better quality vines.…”