Enhancing partnership among Africa RISING, NAFAKA and TUBORESHE CHAKULA Programs for fast-tracking delivery and scaling of agricultural

technologies in Tanzania

Reduced food waste and spoilage

Ibrahim Shabani, Abass AdebayoSilvanus Mruma, Gabriel Ndunguru

Josephat KionaumelaAfrica RISING annual planning Meeting

8th -10th JULY, 2015 White Sand Hotel, Dar es salaam

SUMMARY

OBJECTIVES

PARTNERS

KEY RESULTS

KEY ACHIEVEMENT

FUTURE WORK

CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED

BEST ACTIVITIES AND IMPROVEMENT

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

OUTLINE

Postharvest food loss is a challenge that contributes to food insecurity and reduces the income of millions of smallholder farmers

Postharvest loss of grains and legumes ranged from:o 20 – 40% at the time of harvesto 5% during shelling o 15 – 25% or up to 90% during storage.

Postharvest loss of vegetables ≥ 30%o poor handling, o inadequate storage conditions and o damage during transportation

Summary

Many simple tools and approaches for reducing the losses exist;

Uptake and adoption by smallholder farmers remain limited due to lack of awareness and skills to use them

Summary

Generate and provide improved innovation and technologies that improve harvesting, processing and storage of cereals and legumes to increase food security and safety

Promote post harvest management technologies to reduce losses and bring quality up to market standards

Objectives

S/N INDICATOR TARGET

DISTRICT ACHIEVEMENT

ACHIEVEMENT (%)

FEMALE

MALE

1 Number of farmers and others who have applied new technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance

625 KITETO 43 6.6% 67 33

KONGWA

MVOMERO

2 Number of rural households benefiting directly from USG interventions

775 KITETO 85 10.9 14 15

KONGWA 85 10 12 14

MVOMERO

85 10 13 15

TARGET BENEFITIARIES

PARTNERSNAFAKA

TUBOCHA

Center for Counseling, Nutrition and Health Care (COUNSENUTH).

TrueFoods

Pee Pee (T) Ltd – PICS bag manufacturer

Participatory diagnosis of the main postharvest problems that should be addressed by the project

Information collected from 255 farmers in 15 villages

KEY RESULTS: Percent Loss at different postharvest handling stages

Crops Field loss (insects, rodents & fungi)

Packing

Transportation

Processing

Packaging

Marketing

Cooking

Total loss

Maize 3.63 1.94 2.11 3.58 4.23 3.64 2.2 19.13Pigeon peas 6.45 1.99 4.01 2.41 0.29 2.68 0.63 17.83Sunflower 4.4 1.81 1.69 3.36 1.6 3.1 1.31 15.96Sim-sim 3.1 2.3 2.37 1.78 0.98 4.01 0 14.54G. nuts 2.6 1.22 0.88 1.7 1.5 1.36 1.5 9.26Sorghum 4.06 2.36 2.8 4.25 2.03 4.35 2.28 19.85

Implications & required action:

-9-20% loss of food;

1.Postharvest loss prevention technologies

KEY RESULTS:Farmers’ perceptions on postharvest operation

knowledge gap

Implications & required action:

- Diverse knowledge gap

1. Farmers’ training

2. Creation and training of commodity storage specialists

KEY RESULTS:Postharvest loss control practices

Control measures Percent

Traditional herbs 3.9

Ashes 8.3

Pre-processing method 5.5 

Artificial chemical control (Insecticides & pesticides) 

84.6

Traps 16.1

Proper drying 16.5

Maintaining hygienic conditions 12.2

Proper handling/packaging 11

Implications & required action:

-Extensive use of pesticides in cereals and legumes

1. Postharvest management training: Introduce improved methods for drying, shelling, storage, etc.

2.Ensure public health safety by investigating and providing a remedy to potential high pesticide residue in marketed cereals and legumes

A. 43 lead farmers were trained in Kipelesa and Ngipa villages of Kiteto

1. Mechanical maize shelling practices aiming at reducing food loss and the long time farmers spend on crop processing

2. Improved drying technology (e.g. by using the collapsible dryer case)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

KIPERESA VILLAGE, KITETO DISTRICT

3. Improved storage practices (e.g. use of hermetic storage bags)

All activities are going fine

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Train 48 lead farmers in (training of trainers) four villages of Kongwa and Mvomero

Support intensification of maize fortification with micronutrient in areas where TUBOCHA was operating micronutrient program

Increase the awareness of processors on proper fortification procedures

FUTURE WORK

Continue training of lead farmers on improved postharvest handling practices: shelling, drying and storage.

Establish public health safety of cereals and legumes stored with pesticides

FUTURE WORK

Wrong expectation of farmers in return for the information they offered; majority of the farmers were expecting food aid

Farmers experienced prolonged dry season and late rainfall which are thought to cause crop failure, causing reduced need for storage technologies as the household food may run-out very quickly.

CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS

Postharvest management activities have just started because the harvest season for maize is June/July

The postharvest team will keep implementing the IR 6 to improve the livelihoods of the smallholder farming communities in the project areas through reduced food loss and consumption of nutrient-dense foods.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS