Commercialization of Ruspolia nitidula (nsenene grasshoppers) in Central Uganda

Trade in Ruspolia nitidula commonly known as grasshopper and locally known, as Nsenene is becoming a valuable source of income for many poor people in central Uganda, which although modest in terms of monetary value, could nonetheless form a significant proportion of their annual income. Though eaten by a large proportion of the population in the central Uganda, there is much less documented information on its commercialization and income potential. A study was, therefore, conducted to document consumers' perceptions about eating these R. nitidula; marketing chain, market locations, and the people trading in R. nitidula; the average price, income generated and the challenges and opportunities for marketing it in central Uganda. Two divisions (Central and Kawempe) of Kampala City and one sub-county (Nyendo-Ssenyange) of Masaka district with high concentration of R. nitidula business were surveyed. Seventy R. nitidula traders and 70 consumers were interviewed. Data were edited, coded, entered and analyzed using Statistical Packake for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results show that R. nitidula is a delicacy and cultural food eaten by the majority of the people in central Uganda. The average retail price per kilogram of R. nitidula was Uganda shillings 5,000 (≈ US 2.80), which compares favourably with that of goat meat, which retails at approximately Uganda shillings 4,000 (≈ US 2.13) per kilogram in Kampala districts. The trade was dominated by men and characterized by wholesalers who buy R. nitidula from collectors and sell to retailers. The average price per kilogram of R. nitidula increases from collectors to wholesale traders and to retailers. Collectors charged the lowest price although their profit margins remained the highest. Several barriers, such as high market dues, hamper the trade in R. nitidula. There is a need to streamline the trade in R. nitidula so as to protect traders from high taxation by the market administrators. The possibility of adding value to the R. nitidula should be investigated because it is mainly being sold in fresh form and yet it has a short shelf life. Keywords: Marketing, Trade, Ruspolia nitidula, Uganda. AJFAND Vol. 8 (3) 2008: pp. 319-33

How video attributes influence farmer learning about maize postharvest handling practices and technologies in kakumiro district, Uganda

In Sub-Saharan Africa, video has been earmarked as an important tool to enhance learning among smallholder farmers. The study evaluated how the inherent video attributes influence learning about postharvest handling practices and technologies from the perspective of maize farmers in Kakumiro district of Uganda; using the case of Access Agriculture maize videos. An action-oriented research involving showing of four videos, on-site participant observation, six key informant and 50 exit individual interviews were conducted in February 2019. While thematic-content analysis was applied for qualitative data, quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 version. Our results clearly illustrate that the video’s ability to influence farmer learning depends on the complementarity of its positive attributes including: demonstration ability, attractiveness and clarity of images, ability to arouse interest and curiosity; thus, fostering interactions among viewers. The nature of video content in terms of clarity, practicability, relevance, applicability and content sequencing are also perceived to be key attributes of video in enhancing learning among the viewers. However, the effectiveness of video is likely to be compromised by the socio-economic and cultural factors more especially if such factors are not well taken care of during the filming process. If possible, when developing videos for farmer learning, focus should be on creating local content that is context specific, which farmers can enjoy and relate to for easy adaptation and eventual application. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 9 (1): 58-65, June, 201

Reinforcing social learning beyond video: lessons from the sasakawa global 2000 rice videos in kamwenge district, Uganda

The study assesses how social learning was triggered and reinforced through video-mediated extension as used by Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000) from 2007 to 2010 among rice farmers in Kamwenge district, Uganda. A longitudinal study involving six focus group discussions and 100 semi-structured interviews were conducted in August 2015 to February 2016, and later 21 key informant interviews in June 2018 to generate data from farmers. While thematic-content analysis was used for the qualitative data, SPSS v.18 was used for quantitative data analysis. Results indicate that video-complementary extension methods were non-discriminative as evidenced by the diversity of farmers who participated in the demonstration sites, field days and exchange visits in terms of age mix and level of education attained. Furthermore, use of videos in extension is more effective when combined with other complementary follow-up extension methods; thus, deepening social learning among farmers. For effective scaling-up of the impact of video-mediated extension messages, use of complementary extension methods such as demonstration plots, exchange visit and field days offer greater opportunities for developing more localized videos for farmer learning. However, this requires pragmatic retooling of extension workers to effectively document local videos on the interactive learning that occurs in these complementary extension methods. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 9 (1): 66-72, June, 201

Impediments, opportunities and strategies to enhance trade of wild and semi-wild food plants in Bunyoro- Kitara Kingdom, Uganda

This study examined the impediments, opportunities and strategies to enhance trade of wild and semiwild food plants (WSWFPs) in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face to sixty six (66) traders of WSWFPs in the formal markets: five (5) mobile hawkers and eleven (11) home-based/roadside traders. As a result of their small number, all traders that were found selling WSWFPs were interviewed. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics in excel spreadsheet and MINITAB statistical package. A number of challenges including high perishability, market dues, inaccurate consumers’ perceptions, seasonal shortfalls and unreliable supply, unorganized markets, little or no value addition, limited market information, and the inexistence of market promotional activities affected the trade in WSWFPs. However, the growing market demands, increasing focus of most service providers in creating awareness on WSWFPs, ever-changing perception on nutritional values of WSWFPs by the public, current government emphasis on value addition of traded agricultural products, little or no capital requirement for starting up trade in WSWFPs, and absence of restrictive regulations on sale of WSWFPs were regarded as good opportunities that could be exploited to enhance trade in WSWFPs. Key strategies for improved marketing WSWFPs included among other things, training gatherers and traders on value adding activities prior to sale, deliberate investment in promotional and awareness campaigns to expose the hidden benefits of WSWFPs, scrapping market dues levied on traders selling WSWFPs, helping gatherers and sellers to organise themselves to form viable supply and market groups, linking gatherers and sellers to good markets, as well as providing them with available market information. There is thus, a need for concerted efforts to implement some of these feasible marketing strategies to improve on the markets of WSWFPs in the kingdom.Key words: Wild edibles, wild food, semi-cultivated food, marketing wild food, Uganda

Addressing constraints in promoting wild edible plants’ utilization in household nutrition: case of the Congo Basin forest area

It is worth raising the question, why are wild edible plants (WEPs) which are rich in diverse nutrients and widely abundant underutilized despite the increasing rate of undernourishment in poor regions? One reason is that their culinary uses are not quantified and standardized in nutrition surveys, and therefore, they are not properly included in household diet intensification and diversification across regions and cultures. Active steps are needed to bridge this gap. This paper outlines the constraints to including WEPs in nutritional surveys as the lack of standard ways of food identification of diverse WEPs, lack of specific food categorization and therefore difficult dissemination across regions and cultures. As a way forward, a functional categorization of 11 subgroups for WEPs is introduced and discussed. In labeling these sub-food groups, the paper advocates that more WEPs food items and culinary uses should be enlisted during household nutrition surveys. Food researchers could then capitalize these enlisted species and disseminate them to promote diverse food use of WEPs in other regions where they exist but are not utilized as food

Plant species diversity in a changing agricultural landscape: the case of Kaweri Coffee Plantation, Central Uganda

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Role Of Indigenous Knowledge In Enhancing Household Food Security: A Case Study Of Mukungwe, Masaka District, Central Uganda

This study examined and documented the role of indigenous knowledge in enhancing household food security in Uganda focussing on Mukungwe sub-county, Masaka district. It specifically identified the indigenous practices which enhances household food security; determined the extent of use indigenous knowledge versus western knowledge in enhancing household food security; identified the factors that limit the use of indigenous practices in enhancing food security. The data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, personal interviews and group discussions. The finding showed that many people depend on the use of indigenous knowledge practices in sustaining subsistence farming and enhancing household food security. Majority of farmers mulch their crops using local materials like coffee husks while others use locally concocted pesticides to control pests such as maize stem borers and cabbage diamondback moths. Use of locally made mortars and stones to pound and grind foodstuffs such as groundnuts was common. Fresh cassava and potato tubers were buried into the soil to increase their shelf-life. There is a need to build strong awareness programs by extension agents on indigenous knowledge systems in order for farmers to appreciate its role in enhancing household food security in especially rural areas where the factors of production is scarce. Keywords: Local knowledge, indigenous practices, food security, Uganda.Indilinga Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 64-7

Physico-Chemical characteristics of shea butter(Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.) oil from the Shea district of Uganda

Shea oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.). It constitutes an important source of fat in food and cosmetics. Although shea oil can be marketed both locally and internationally, increasing demand worldwide for exportable products calls for their certification. Characterization of shea oil is one step towards developing its certification system. In this study, the physico-chemical characteristics of shea oil in different shea zones ofUganda were assessed. Samples of shea fruits were collected between the months of June-August 2007 in the districts of Pader, Lira, Katakwi and Arua representing Acholi, Lango, Teso, and West Nile shea zones, respectively. Seed oil was extracted by Soxhlet apparatus using n-hexane solvent and analysed for colour, refractive index, viscosity, oil content, acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, iodine value,ƒ¿-tocopherols and fatty acid profile. Shea oil content, colour, refractive index and viscosity ranged from 41-54%, orange to orange.yellow, 1.670-1.690 and 2.4-2.8 cP, respectively. Acid and peroxide values ranged between 2.3-12.59 mgKOH/kg and 2.10 to 2.50 meq/kg, respectively. Saponification, iodine and ƒ¿- tocopherols valueswere between 160 mgKOH/g and 192mgKOH/g, 39.21 I2g/100 and 41.37 I2g/100g and 26.3-44.4 mg/100g, respectively. Fatty acid profile for palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidic fatty acids ranged between 6.52-8.12%, 28.65-30.94%, 55.54-57.63%, 6.18-7.79% and 0.65-0.90%, respectively. Although there was significant variation in the oil yield (P.0.05), the physico-chemical characteristic and fatty acid profile showed no significant variation in the shea zones of Uganda (P.0.05). The fact that physico- chemical characteristics of shea oil from the different shea zones of Uganda are comparable to other high value edible vegetable oils indicates its suitability as raw material for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. This characterization is a bench mark for monitoring the quality of shea oil from Uganda and can be used to enhance its local and international trade