The impact of mechanized processing of cassava on farmers' production efficiency in Uganda

The study investigates the impact of adopting mechanized processing of cassava on farmers’ production efficiency in Uganda. A stochastic production function, using translog functional form, was used to compare efficiency measures of farmers in mechanized cassava-processing villages compared with the farmers in nonmechanized cassava-processing villages in 2014. Given the specification of the translog production function, the mean technical efficiencies of the farmers were 0.69 and 0.52 in mechanized and nonmechanized villages, respectively. The significant determinants of technical inefficiency among the respondents are farming experience, education, membership of farmer association, access to markets, sale of cassava to processors and farmers who planted cassava as sole crop are all negative, which confirm to a priori expectations and significant at different levels. The policy implication of the study is that mechanization of cassava processing, particularly if done at the right scale, could create demand that can transform primary production for increased yields, higher incomes and production efficiency of smallholder farmers who constitute a significant proportion of Uganda’s agricultural sector

Effect of transaction costs on market participation among smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar

High transaction costs deter entry of small farmers into the market. With the data from 240 smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar, this study identified strategies to promote successful smallholder commercialization. The coefficients for membership of cooperatives, native of community and farming experience, have a direct relationship with decision to participate in the market and which is significant at 1% level and road condition to the nearest town is good at 10% level. The coefficients for age, distance to the nearest town and distance from the farm to the market have an indirect relationship with decision to participate in the market and significant at 5, 10 and 1% levels, respectively. The results also show that the coefficients for personal means of transportation and marketing experience have a direct relationship with decision to sell cassava off-farm and at 10 and 1% level of significance, respectively, while distance to the nearest town and distance from the farm to the market had an indirect relationship with decision to sell off-farm at 5% level of significance each and cost of transportation at 1% level. The study raises policy issues which might reduce these transaction costs by providing more market outlets, better rural infrastructure and also bulking centres

Analyses of labour productivity among small-holder cassava farmers for food security and empowerment in central Madagascar

Open Access JournalLabour productivity affects food security, but quantifying this relationship has been scarce with respect to empirical literature. The Central Madagascar dataset explores the influence of labour productivity and related variables on the food security status of cassava farmers. Drawing on both theory and empirical evidence, this paper argues that fundamental effects of links between labour productivity and food security are most times often overlooked currently in policy analyses. The study used a probit regression analytical procedure to explain the effect of labour productivity on food security of 180 Malagasy smallholder cassava farmers selected through a multi-stage random sampling technique. Results showed that 25% of the cassava farmers were food in-secure. Labour productivity had a direct relationship with food security status of farmers at 1% level of probability as well as membership of cooperatives and farm size. Aged farmers were more food insecure at 10% level of probability than their younger counterparts. Households with high dependency ratio and family labour tend to be food insecure at 1% and 10% level of probability respectively among the farmers sampled. The results therefore call for land re-distribution and re-form policies aimed at encouraging younger farmers who seem to be more labour productive by allocating more land to these group (as cooperatives) to increase cassava cultivation thereby giving a boost to food security

Differentials in technical efficiency among smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar: a Cobb Douglas stochastic frontier production approach

Open Access JournalThis study employed the Cobb–Douglas stochastic frontier production function to measure the level of technical efficiency among smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 180 cassava farmers in the region and from this sample, input–output data were obtained using the cost route approach. The parameters of the stochastic frontier production function were estimated using the maximum likelihood method. The results of the analysis showed that individual farm-level technical efficiency was about 79%. The study found education, gender and age to be indirectly and significantly related to technical efficiency at a 1% level of probability, and to household size at a 5% level. The coefficient for occupational status was positive and highly significant at a 1% level. The results show that the study’s cassava farmers are not fully technically efficient, showing a mean score of .79%, and suggesting that opportunities still exist for increasing efficiency among the farmers. There is a need, therefore, to ensure that these farmers have access to the appropriate inputs, especially land and capital. The results also call for land reform policies to be introduced, aimed at making more land available, especially to the younger and full-time female farmers

Adoption of mechanized postharvest cassava processing technologies, and the determinants of high quality cassava flour (HQCF) processing in Tanzania

Open Access JournalIn this study, the factors influencing the adoption of mechanized technologies for processing cassava into a value-added high quality cassava flour (HQCF) by rural households in Tanzania were examined. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 households in villages which carry out both mechanized and non-mechanized cassava processing activities. The questionnaire focused on the households' socio-economic characteristics and their adoption parameters. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the double-hurdle model. The study revealed a positive correlation between the level of awareness of mechanized cassava processing technologies and their rate of adoption. In addition, the adoption decisions made by the households were significantly influenced by a number of factors, such as the gender of the processors, the distance of the processing sites to the nearest tarmac road, and the cost of capital required to invest in HQCF processing technology. The amount invested by households in the processing of HQCF was influenced by the number of adult females in the household, the education level of the processors, farming experience and the distance from the processing plant to the nearest product market. This suggests that mechanized post-harvest processing of HQCF at the household level was influenced by access to product market. Therefore, the study recommends increased promotion of postharvest processing technologies, access to capital and enhancedinfrastructures, especially rural roads to facilitate improved access to markets for HQCF in Tanzania

Tree Lab: Portable Genomics for Early Detection of Plant Viruses and Pests in Sub-Saharan Africa

In this case study we successfully teamed the PDQeX DNA purification technology developed by MicroGEM, New Zealand, with the MinION and MinIT mobile sequencing devices developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies to produce an effective point-of-need field diagnostic system. The PDQeX extracts DNA using a cocktail of thermophilic proteinases and cell wall-degrading enzymes, thermo-responsive extractor cartridges and a temperature control unit. This closed system delivers purified DNA with no cross-contamination. The MinIT is a newly released data processing unit that converts MinION raw signal output into nucleotide base called data locally in real-time, removing the need for high-specification computers and large file transfers from the field. All three devices are battery powered with an exceptionally small footprint that facilitates transport and setup. To evaluate and validate capability of the system for unbiased pathogen identification by real-time sequencing in a farmer’s field setting, we analysed samples collected from cassava plants grown by subsistence farmers in three sub-Sahara African countries (Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya). A range of viral pathogens, all with similar symptoms, greatly reduce yield or destroy cassava crops. Eight hundred (800) million people worldwide depend on cassava for food and yearly income, and viral diseases are a significant constraint to its production. Early pathogen detection at a molecular level has great potential to rescue crops within a single growing season by providing results that inform decisions on disease management, use of appropriate virus-resistant or replacement planting. This case study presented conditions of working in-field with limited or no access to mains power, laboratory infrastructure, Internet connectivity and highly variable ambient temperature. An additional challenge is that, generally, plant material contains inhibitors of downstream molecular processes making effective DNA purification critical. We successfully undertook real-time on-farm genome sequencing of samples collected from cassava plants on three farms, one in each country. Cassava mosaic begomoviruses were detected by sequencing leaf, stem, tuber and insect samples. The entire process, from arrival on farm to diagnosis, including sample collection, processing and provisional sequencing results was complete in under 3 h. The need for accurate, rapid and on-site diagnosis grows as globalized human activity accelerates. This technical breakthrough has applications that are relevant to human and animal health, environmental management and conservation