Value chain development for mango (Mangifera indica) around Outamba Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone: constraints and opportunities for smallholders

Abstract

Background:Mango is an important tree fruit in Sierra Leone since it participates to food and nutritional security mainly in rural areas. However, the economic potential of this tree fruit is still untapped to a large extent. This situation is due to high loss and poor handling at post-harvest stage preventing farmers from meeting the quality standard for different markets. The aims of this paper were to analyse the constrains and opportunities for mango value chain development, as well as community-based copping strategies developed by chain actors to valorise the existing opportunities for better market development and forest conservation.Methods: Data were collected in four sites around the Outamba Kilimi National Park, Sierra Leone, through focus group discussions with men and women groups of 25-35 mango value chain actors in each site. Results:Results indicated that mango value chain is composed of nursery suppliers, mango producers, harvesters and assemblers, processors and traders. Main constraints encountered by both men and women are lack of: (1) polythene bags and improved mango seedlings, mineral fertilisers, herbicides, pesticide, (2) training on appropriate mango production practices, (3) appropriate harvesting tools, (4) appropriate processing knowledge and equipment, as well as high transportation cost. Hand weeding, use of available organic fertiliser, seeking of advices from colleagues farmers, equipment from other processors who own local processing equipment were some of the coping strategies developed by various actors along mango value chains. Soil fertility, favourable climatic conditions, technical and financial support from direct or indirect actors through training on good agronomic practices, processing and marketing techniques, availability of hired labour to perform farming and processing operations, existence of local processing plant to serve as outlet for fresh mango were identified as main factors to be exploited to improve mango value chains around Outamba Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone. Conclusions: Our results provided insight into the various factors limiting the performance of mango value chains around Outamba Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone. This baseline study will help in designing and implementing appropriate strategies to promote mango value chains in the areas around the Outamba Kilimi National Park.

Increasing Mango Production Efficiency under the Fast-Changing Climate

“…Increasing Mango Production Efficiency under the Fast-Changing Climate DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112951 pillars must form an integral component in any mango improvement programmes to avoid trade-offs among them. However, a number of works also focus on the usage of post-harvest strategies and value-addition development to enhance the safety and quality of harvested fruits to their final consumer while reducing mango fruit wastage [48,49]. This has resulted in the release of hybrid mangoes around the globe [50,51].…”

Leveraging urbanization for inclusive development in Malawi: Anchoring the secondary city development of Salima and Chipoka in a modernizing fruit value chain

“…Mali, Sudan, and Tanzania produce around 500,000 mt each (Figure 10). (Gross 2021) and Sierra Leone (Arinloye, et al 2017), to name a few. There is broad consensus that their suitable agroecologies and relatively low costs of production provide a comparative advantage to these African mango-producing countries, but one which has been largely untapped to date.…”

Theorizing Agriculture Value Chains: Integrating Small Holder Producers to Overcome Hurdles

“…Moreover, poor road network add the burden of high transportation cost to mango producers. Mango production and value addition in Sierra Leone can be increased by a suitable value chain network with better relationships within the actors, as well as community-based appropriate strategies to be adopted to capture new opportunities for improved market expansion and forest conservation (Arinloye et al, 2017). This will help to tap the maximum potential of the mango cultivation through flow of information, knowledge and communication and finally, can achieve competitiveness along the value chain integration.…”