scholarly journals Phytosanitary and Technical Quality Challenges in Export Fresh Vegetables and Strategies to Compliance with Market Requirements: Case of Smallholder Snap Beans in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1546
Author(s):  
Alex M. Fulano ◽  
Geraldin M. W. Lengai ◽  
James W. Muthomi
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Export Market ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
Snap Beans ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Market Requirements

Kenya is one of the leading exporters of snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) to Europe, but the export volume has remained below potential mainly due to failure to meet the market quality standards. The quality concerns include the presence of regulated and quarantine pests, pesticide residues, harmful organisms, and noncompliance with the technical standards. These challenges call for the development of alternative approaches in overcoming the phytosanitary and quality challenges in the export of snap beans and other fresh vegetables. These may include integrated pest management (IPM) approaches that incorporate non synthetic chemical options, such as diversified cropping systems, plant and microbial-based pesticides, varieties with multiple disease and pest resistance, insecticidal soaps, pheromones and kairomones, entomopathogens and predators. These approaches, coupled with capacity-building and adherence to the set quality standards, will improve compliance with export market requirements. The aim of this paper is to increase knowledge on implementing good practices across the value chain of fresh vegetables that would lead to improved quality and thereby meeting institutional requirements for the export market. The novelty of the current review is using snap beans as a model vegetable to discuss the challenges that must be mitigated for the quest of achieving high quality and increased volume of fresh export products. Whilst many of the publications have focused on alternatives to synthetic pesticides in addressing MRLs in fresh vegetable exports, there is a disconnect between research and industry in achieving chemical residue and pest free export vegetables. This review describes the phytosanitary and technical challenges faced by smallholder farmers in accessing export markets, evaluates the phytosanitary and quality requirements by the niche markets, and explores the strategies that could be used to enhance compliance to the institutional and market requirements for fresh vegetables.

scholarly journals Improving Cinnamomum Burmannii Blume Value Chains for Farmer Livelihood in Kerinci, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Sidi Rana Menggala ◽  
P. V. Damme
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
International Market ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Product Certification ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
The World ◽  
Certification Standards

Cinnamon is the most common baking spice in the world. It comes from a small evergreen tree that's part of the Lauraceae family. Genus Cinnamomum regroups some species whose stem bark is harvested, conditioned and traded as cinnamon in the international market. Over the centuries, the species have been domesticated so that now at least six different ones are grown in Southeast Asia. One of the species is burmannii, also known as Koerintji Cinnamon, which generates income for numerous smallholder farmers in Kerinci district, Jambi, Indonesia. Koerintji cinnamon is known for its unparalleled quality that comes with its sharp and sweet flavour, with a slightly bitter edge. However, international market requirements for product certification and quality standards make it difficult for a farmer to comply. Our research will address issues related to (improvement of) productivity, sustainability and value chains faced by cinnamon producers in Kerinci, to strengthen their product’s value chains. Smallholder farmers are very vulnerable to a well-functioning market, and thus empowering the value chains of agricultural products will increase farmers resilience to have access to the market. The research will analyse the development of agricultural value chains, certification . standards on trade mechanism to help farmers earn a better income and prospects.

scholarly journals Improving Cinnamomum Burmannii Blume Value Chains for Farmer Livelihood in Kerinci, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidi Rana Menggala ◽  
P. V. Damme
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
International Market ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Product Certification ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
The World ◽  
Certification Standards

Cinnamon is the most common baking spice in the world. It comes from a small evergreen tree that's part of the Lauraceae family. Genus Cinnamomum regroups some species whose stem bark is harvested, conditioned and traded as cinnamon in the international market. Over the centuries, the species have been domesticated so that now at least six different ones are grown in Southeast Asia. One of the species is burmannii, also known as Koerintji Cinnamon, which generates income for numerous smallholder farmers in Kerinci district, Jambi, Indonesia. Koerintji cinnamon is known for its unparalleled quality that comes with its sharp and sweet flavour, with a slightly bitter edge. However, international market requirements for product certification and quality standards make it difficult for a farmer to comply. Our research will address issues related to (improvement of) productivity, sustainability and value chains faced by cinnamon producers in Kerinci, to strengthen their product’s value chains. Smallholder farmers are very vulnerable to a well-functioning market, and thus empowering the value chains of agricultural products will increase farmers resilience to have access to the market. The research will analyse the development of agricultural value chains, certification . standards on trade mechanism to help farmers earn a better income and prospects.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Xiaolei Wang ◽  
Apurbo Sarkar ◽  
Lu Qian
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reduction Degree ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Storage Technology

Market-based initiatives like agriculture value chain (AVC) are becoming progressively pervasive to support smallholder rural farmers and assist them in entering larger market interventions and providing a pathway of enhancing their socioeconomic well-being. Moreover, it may also foster staggering effects towards the post-era poverty alleviation in rural areas and possessed a significant theoretical and practical influence for modern agricultural development. The prime objective of the study is to explore the effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain for availing rural development and poverty alleviation. Specifically, we have crafted the assessment employing pre-production (improved fertilizers usage), in-production (modern preservation technology), and post-production (supply chain) participation and interventions of smallholder farmers. The empirical data has been collected from a micro survey dataset of 623 kiwifruit farmers from July to September in Shaanxi, China. We have employed propensity score matching (PSM), probit, and OLS models to explore the multidimensional poverty reduction impact and heterogeneity of farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain. The results show that the total number of poor farmers who have experienced one-dimensional and two-dimensional poverty is relatively high (66.3%). We also find that farmers’ participation in agricultural value chain activities has a significant poverty reduction effect. The multidimensional poverty level of farmers using improved fertilizer, organizational acquisition, and using storage technology (compared with non-participating farmers) decreased by 30.1%, 46.5%, and 25.0%, respectively. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of male farmers using improved fertilizer and participating in the organizational acquisition is greater than that of women. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of female farmers using storage and fresh-keeping technology has a greater impact than the males using storage and improved storage technology. Government should widely promote the value chain in the form of pre-harvest, production, and post-harvest technology. The public–private partnership should also be strengthened for availing innovative technologies and infrastructure development.

scholarly journals Combined effects of landscape composition and pesticide use on herbivore and pollinator functions in smallholder farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Struelens ◽  
Diego Mina ◽  
Olivier Dangles
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
New Information ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Effect On Yield

Abstract Background Landscape composition has the potential to foster regulating ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol in temperate regions. However, most landscape studies do not take pesticide use into account even though it is the main control strategy worldwide and has negative impacts on beneficial insects. Moreover, few studies have explored these combined effects in smallholder cropping system with diverse landscapes and small cultivated fields. Methods We assessed the effect of semi-natural cover and pesticide use on pollinator and herbivore abundances and functions in 9 fields in the Ecuadorian Andes through participatory experiments with smallholder farmers. We performed a path analysis to quantify the effects of landscape and pesticide use on herbivory, pollination and ultimately yield. Results Pesticide use significantly reduced pollinator abundance but had no significant effect on pest abundance. Similarly, we found non-significant effects of landscape composition on either herbivory and pollination. The study also provides new information on understudied Andean lupine’s pests and pollinators, whose application for small farmers is discussed. Finally, we hypothesize that peculiarities of tropical smallholder cropping systems and landscapes could explain the non-significant landscape effects on insect-based processes, which calls for more research in places outside the well-studied temperate region. Conclusions Landscape composition did not show any significant effect on pest and pollinator while pesticide use decreased the abundance pollinators, but with no significant effect on yield. This study also provides information about Andean lupine reproduction and overcompensation mechanisms that could be of interest for local farmers and researchers of this understudied crop.

Food for All in Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Conway ◽  
Ousmane Badiane ◽  
Katrin Glatzel
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sustainable Intensification ◽  
Rural Poor ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Agricultural Transformation

Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate for Africa, that recognizes the continent's diverse environments and climates, and that takes into account its histories and cultures while benefiting rural smallholder farmers and their families. This book describes the key challenges faced by Africa's smallholder farmers and presents the concepts and practices of sustainable intensification as opportunities to sustainably transform Africa's agriculture sector and the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The way forward, the book indicates, will be an agriculture sector deeply rooted within sustainable intensification: producing more with less, using fertilizers and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, improving natural capital, adopting new technologies, and building resilience at every stage of the agriculture value chain. This book envisions a virtuous circle generated through agricultural development rooted in sustainable intensification that results in greater yields, healthier diets, improved livelihoods for farmers, and sustainable economic opportunities for the rural poor that in turn generate further investment. It describes the benefits of digital technologies for farmers and the challenges of transforming African agricultural policies and creating effective and inspiring leadership. The book demonstrates why we should take on the challenge and provides ideas and methods through which it can be met.

The Impact of IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme to Rice Yield and Income Among Smallholder Farmers in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 66-74
Author(s):  
E.D Oruonye ◽  
◽  
Tukura Ejati Danladi ◽  
M Joseph ◽  
Menwo Ukechi Wilson-Osigwe
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Rice Yield ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
T Test ◽  
Rice Farming ◽  
Intervention Programme ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
The Impact

The study assesses the impact of IFAD-VCDP on rice yield and farmers’ income, as well as constraints to IFAD-VCDP implementation in the study area. A purposive sampling method was adopted to select 220 rice farmers. Primary and secondary data were used. Questionnaires were used to collect information from the beneficiaries of the programme. The respondents verified the claims of the programme with respect to the provisions of farm inputs, extension service and basic infrastructures. A paired-samples t-test was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that 55% of the respondents have yields between 1–10 bags (100kg) and after the intervention, 52% of the respondents had yield of 61–80 bags (100kg). Similarly, 43% of the respondents have income between N51,000-N70,000 before the intervention programme and after the intervention, 52% of the respondents have income between N141,000-N170,000 and 42% have between N171,000-N200,000. This shows significant positive impacts on crop yield and income. The results of the paired-sample t-test show that there is difference in the mean income of rice farmers before IFAD-VCDP intervention (M = 2.54, SD = .81) and after IFAD-VCDP intervention (M = 4.35, SD = .59) at the .05 level of significance (t = 27.25, df = 219, n = 220, p< .05, 95% CI for mean difference 1.68 to 1.94). Given the positive impact of the IFAD-value chain development programme on rice farming in the study area, there is a need to extend it to other rice-producing LGA in Taraba State. Keywords: Ardo Kola, IFAD, Rice farming, Smallholder farmers and VCDP.

Using ICT to Overcome Constraints in the Agriculture Value Chain

2013 ◽  
pp. 689-699
Author(s):  
Siegfried Kofi Debrah ◽  
Isaac Kwadwo Asare
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
Development Partner ◽  
Management Context ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
And Control

Development partner efforts and private sector initiatives on ICT applications in agriculture have brought new opportunities for farmers and traders to reduce transaction costs and increase incomes. The applications are primarily used for linking actors in the agricultural value chain, accessing real time information on prices, buyers and sellers, transport and haulage, and other relevant information services in the agricultural value chain. Limited evidence from Ghana and elsewhere show that cell phone applications have resulted in increased incomes but the impacts and sustainability of other ICT applications have proven elusive. The role of ICT in overcoming the key constraints in the agricultural value chain and for making evidence-based decisions will be greatly enhanced if farmers, aggregators, and other stakeholders in the value chain pay attention to their business scope and schedule planning, executing, monitoring and control, procurement, risk planning, and stakeholder communications in a “project management” context. When this is done, ICT applications will facilitate supply chain management through sharing of timely and pertinent information on producers, buyers and other services, thereby helping to promote industry competitiveness. The major challenges to the widespread use and sustainability of ICT remain access to the appropriate ICT tool, poor road and storage infrastructure (particularly in the farming communities) and illiteracy on the part of the majority of smallholder farmers.

scholarly journals Farmer Perception and Resources for Calf Fattening Under Smallholder Production System

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Humera Iqbal ◽  
Anam Afzal ◽  
Khizar Hayat ◽  
Emma Hand ◽  
David McGill
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Secondary Products ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Market Strategy ◽  
Good Market ◽  
Farming Households

In Pakistan, smallholder farmers are primarily engaged in dairy farming while keeping beef animals as secondary products. Farmers experience poor production due to lack of focus on beef farming, traditional calf rearing practices and limited resources. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions of smallholder farming households of beef production and the available resources for farmers to engage in beef fattening to increase overall farm profitability. Data was collected using a focus group discussion approach, from farming households in villages across Punjab (n = 7) and Sindh (n = 8). An integrated framework incorporating gender and value-chain considerations was used as a tool to assess farmer interest, goals and resources for rearing livestock. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The majority of farmers interested in calf fattening were more resource rich, with livestock as their primary source of income. A smaller proportion of farmers, with limited resources, also took interest in calf fattening. Women from a few villages mentioned that they were reluctant to be involved in beef businesses due to an emerging focus on childhood education as well as a lack of agency for livestock sales and control over income. Another factor contributing to farmer perceptions of beef included their enterprise focus (dairy or cropping). Overall, smallholder farmers perceived that calf fattening could be a profitable business if claves were reared properly, had adequate feed resources and good market return. Training and farm support targeting these areas is critical for calf fattening to become a profitable market strategy.

A parametric test evaluating smallholder farmers’ training needs in Uganda

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanita Kataike ◽  
Durga Prasad Venkata Modekurti ◽  
Eric Butali ◽  
David Magumba ◽  
Andrew Ronnie Mugenyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Pearson Coefficient ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
Milk Marketing ◽  
Training Programmes

PurposeEffective rural agribusiness development requires dedicated training programmes therefore, this paper is an attempt to investigate smallholder farmers’ TNs in the dairy agribusiness sector. The purpose of this paper is to study a bigger research project of the dairy value chain in agribusiness framework in the Rwenzori region.Design/methodology/approachA sample size of 100 dairy farmers were randomly selected from two Districts in the Rwenzori region. The descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) provided a basis for discussion. Furthermore, parametric Pearson coefficient test was conducted to examine the smallholder farmers’ TNs and assess its association with selected socio-demographic characteristics of the dairy farmers.FindingsThe analysis indicated that dairy farmers expressed the need for a training program. Most frequently requested topics include: fodder cultivation, quality and safe milk handling, milk marketing, calf feeding and rearing, animal nutrition and financial literacy out of 12 topics. The least desired TNs was record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the understanding of dairy farmers’ TNs.Practical implicationsThe identified 12 key training intervention areas for the dairy farmers inform policymakers Dairy Development Authority and other development bodies in the Rwenzori region to address the challenges and improve smallholder dairy farming practices.Originality/valueThe study applies a synthesis review to identify theoretically acceptable variables that measure smallholder farmers’ TNs in the dairy agribusiness. The paper also shares the empirical evidence of a pioneering attempt to identify smallholder dairy farmers’ TNs in Uganda.

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