Consumer perceptions and demand for biofortified sweet potato-based biscuit: The case of Akarabo golden power biscuit in Rwanda

Certain varieties of sweet potato, especially orange-fleshed, are being promoted as part of the strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency in children and pregnant mothers. However, the consumption of sweet potato is more widespread in rural households where it is mainly boiled or eaten raw. The lack of value addition excludes majority of urban and higher income consumers who consider sweet potato an inferior product. At the same time low income urban households that would be interested in consuming sweet potatoes are not able to receive regular supplies from the rural producing areas due to perishability and bulkiness of the produce. This study examines consumer perceptions and demand for value-added biofortified biscuit derived from the vitamin A-rich orange fleshed sweet potato in Rwanda. Specifically, it assesses consumer perceptions and preference for biofortified biscuit, consumer willingness to pay for biofortified biscuit and consumers’ rating of the biofortified biscuit. It uses data from 1085 consumers stratified by income levels drawn from consumers in several urban markets of Rwanda. The study finds very favorable rating of the taste, color, packaging, looks, and sweetness for the biofortified biscuit. It also finds higher willingness to pay (WTP) for the biofortified biscuit among consumers from low and low/middle income groups. However, the study finds mixed results of WTP for the biofortifed sweet potato among consumers in the high income neigborhoods. Also, contrary to expectations, the study finds no evidence that knowledge of vitamin A increases consumer rating for the biofortified biscuit, suggesting that the promotion campaigns did not change the way consumers perceive the biofortified sweet potato, perhaps due to the way the campaign was designed. The study concludes that the biofortified biscuit is currently more acceptable among the low and low/middle end income categories probably because of greater promotion at these levels. However, it has a high potential for the high amd medium income groups as evident from the high rating it received among these groups. The paper discusses the implications of these findings and suggests a need for more detailed studies and indepth quantitative analysis of consumer perceptions and WTP for orange-fleshed sweet potato.Key words: Consumers, demand, biofortified biscuits, Rwand

ANALYSIS OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER RATES OF HYDROMAGNETIC TURBULENT FLUID FLOW OVER AN IMMERSED INFINITE HORIZONTAL CYLINDER WITH HALL CURRENT

A mathematical model of hydromagnetic turbulent boundary layer fluid flow past a horizontal infinite cylinder with Hall current is considered. The cylinder is placed in cross flow with the fluid. The fluid flow is impulsively started and the flow problem is subsequently analysed. The flow is modeled using the momentum, energy and concentration conservation equations. The Reynolds stresses arising due to turbulence in the conservation equations are resolved using Prandtl mixing length hypothesis. The equations are then solved by a finite difference method. The effects of flow parameters on the primary velocity, secondary velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are investigated. It is found that velocity profiles increase with increase in Hall parameter and temperature and concentration profiles increase with increase in magnetic parameter. Key words: Turbulent flow, Hall current, cylinder, hydromagnetic, convection, finite differenc

Farmers’ perceptions of orange-fleshed sweetpotato: Do common beliefs about sweetpotato production and consumption really matter?

Efforts to combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries have focused on the promotion of growing and consuming orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP), among other crops. Past studies have found increased intake and even incomes among households that have been reached with information about nutritional benefits of OFSP. Consequently, efforts to scale up the production and consumption of OFSP are on-going in several African countries where vitamin A deficiency is a major problem. However, to date, few studies have systematically examined farmers’ perceptions and attitudes towards some of the attributes of OFSP. This paper interrogates some of the beliefs about the production and consumption of sweetpotato in general, and OFSP, in particular. It uses data generated using multi-stage sampling technique and involving 732 households in the Lake zone of Tanzania. The households were stratified into project participants (the intervention group) and non-participants (the control group). Within each household, data were collected from a male or female adult member (usually spouses) through personal interviews. Overall, 455 project participants and 277 non-participants were interviewed. This study uses both descriptive and exploratory factor analysis to assess some common beliefs about sweetpotato production and consumption. Contrary to the common beliefs, the study finds that sweetpotato is an important food crop to producing households, and that the common negative beliefs about sweetpotato production and consumption are not widely held. This study, therefore, recommends the need to upscale and out-scale efforts to sensitize farmers about the nutritional benefits of growing and consuming OFSP to counter the common negative beliefs about sweetpotato. In particular, educating farmers on the health effects of inadequate intake of Vitamin A and the importance of OFSP as its source can greatly influence their perceptions about OFSP. Further, there is need to increase efforts at breeding aimed at supplying the multiple desirable table and postharvest attributes of orange-fleshed sweetpotato, in addition to focusing on agronomic traits. For sub-Saharan Africa, such attributes include taste, storability of the tubers, dry matter content, and sugar content.Keywords: Sweetpotato, attributes, nutritional benefits, common beliefs, farmer perceptions, Tanzani

Consumers’ salient beliefs regarding foods from edible insects in Kenya: a qualitative study using concepts from the theory of planned behaviour

Population growth, urbanization and climate change, are among the factors that have created uncertainties and pressures on current global food and economic systems. Agricultural intensification can no longer support the increasing demand for food, especially of protein origin. Consequently, pressure is mounting on the supply side (private sector) to develop viable alternative sources of protein’ foods. Insects as food and consumption of foods from edible insects (FEI) are being promoted as one potential solution to the declining access to protein foods. However, one of the challenges facing the private sector is to demonstrate the efficacy of FEI programmes in the face of limited information regarding consumer - psychographic characteristics including their attitudes, values, interests and beliefs. The aim of the study was to explore the salient beliefs underlying consumer attitudes towards FEI consumption in Kenya. To achieve this objective, six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted (n= 43), three with only female participants and the other three with a mixed gender. The FGD script was coded using the Theory of Planned Behaviour theoretical framework. The results show that, salient beliefs related to taste, availability, convenience, affordability and other benefits beyond nutrition, are the main determinants of the participants’ intentions to consume FEI. Intentions are also influenced by the perceived feelings regarding the social referents, including family members, peers, religious leaders and health officials; and perceived behavioural control factors such as perceived risks on their food choices, perceived convenience and availability. While designing local programmes to promote FEI consumption, participants support the idea of small groups, but expresses concern about the time of day (evening preferred), length and location of the group session. However, many participants are not receptive to receiving telephone messages, although they are open to the idea of receiving phone calls. The study findings provide unique insights, among them, cultural beliefs that underlies consumer attitudes towards consuming FEI. Additionally, the results suggest possible approaches and practical interventions that can be used to promote FEI consumption in specific regions of Kenya.Key words: Foods from edible insects, theory of planned behaviour, Salient belief

Past, Present and Future Perspectives on Groundnut Breeding in Burkina Faso

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major food and cash crop in Burkina Faso. Due to the growing demand for raw oilseeds, there is an increasing interest in groundnut production from traditional rain-fed areas to irrigated environments. However, despite implementation of many initiatives in the past to increase groundnut productivity and production, the groundnut industry still struggles to prosper due to the fact of several constraints including minimal development research and fluctuating markets. Yield penalty due to the presence of drought and biotic stresses continue to be a major drawback for groundnut production. This review traces progress in the groundnut breeding that started in Burkina Faso before the country’s political independence in 1960 through to present times. Up to the 1980s, groundnut improvement was led by international research institutions such as IRHO (Institute of Oils and Oleaginous Research) and ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). However, international breeding initiatives were not su�cient to establish a robust domestic groundnut breeding programme. This review also provides essential information about opportunities and challenges for groundnut research in Burkina Faso, emphasising the need for institutional attention to genetic improvement of the crop

The prevalence of serum antibodies to tick-borne infections in Mbale District, Uganda: The effect of agro-ecological zone, grazing management and age of cattle

Between August and October 2000, a cross-sectional study was conducted in smallholder dairy farms in Mbale District, Uganda to assess the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases under different grazing systems and agro-ecological zones and understand the circumstances under which farmers operated. A questionnaire was administered to obtain information on dairy farm circumstances and practices. A total of 102 farms were visited and sera and ticks were collected from 478 animals. Sero-prevalence of tick-borne diseases was determined using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Acaricides were used indiscriminately but the intensity of their use varied with the grazing system and zone. Cattle from different farms mixed for various reasons. During the dry seasons farmers have to get additional fodder from outside their farms that can result in importation of ticks. The prevalence of ticks and serum antibodies to tick-borne infections differed across the grazing systems and zones. The highest serum antibody prevalence (>60%) was recorded in the lowland zone under the free range and tethering grazing systems. The lowest tick challenge and serum antibody levels (<50%) were recorded in the midland and upland zones under a zero-grazing system. These findings suggest that endemic stability to East Coast Fever, babesiosis and anaplasmosis is most likely to have existed in the lowland zone, particularly, under the tethering and free-range grazing systems. Also, endemic stability for babesiosis existed in the upland zones. Endemic instability for East Coast Fever existed in the midland and upland zones. These structured observational studies are instrumental in planning of control strategies for ticks and tick borne diseases since production systems and the cattle population at high risk of the diseases in the district have been identified. Abbreviation: / zone: agro-ecological zon

Genotype-by-environment interactions for grain yield of Valencia groundnut genotypes in East and Southern Africa

Grain yield is a quantitatively inherited trait in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) and subject to genotype by environment interactions. Groundnut varieties show wide variation in grain yield across different agro-ecologies. The objectives of this study were to evaluate Valencia groundnut genotypes for yield stability and classify environments to devise appropriate breeding strategies. Seventeen multi-location trials were conducted in six countries, viz., Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia, from 2013 to 2016. The experiments were laid out following a resolvable incomplete block design, with two replications at each location (hereafter referred to as ‘environments’) using 14 test lines and two standard checks. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis was conducted. Variation attributable to environments, genotypes and genotype × environment interaction for grain yield was highly significant (P<0.001). Genotype, environment and genotype × environment interactions accounted for 7%, 53 % and 40% of the total sum of squares respectively. Superior-performing genotypes possessing high to moderate adaptability and stability levels included ICGV-SM 0154, ICGV-SM 07539, ICGV-SM 07536, ICGV-SM 7501, ICGV-SM 99568 and ICGV SM 07520. Nachingwea 2013 in Tanzania, Nakabango 2014 in Uganda and Chitedze 2015 in Malawi were the most representative and discriminative environments. Considering the implications of interactions for Valencia groundnut breeding in East and Southern Africa we propose that different varieties should be targeted for production in different environments and at the same time used for breeding in specific environments

Role of collective action and handling practices on aflatoxin contamination of groundnuts: evidence from Kenya

Groundnut is a major dietary component and a relatively cheap source of proteins for many people in western Kenya. In order to commercialize groundnut production, the government of Kenya, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Catholic Relief Services mobilized growers into producer marketing groups (PMGs). The PMGs are trained on practices that minimize groundnut contamination with aflatoxin. This paper examines the effectiveness of PMGs as avenues for promoting practices that reduce the risk of groundnut contamination with aflatoxin based on a household survey conducted in Homabay district, western Kenya. Aflatoxin content of groundnuts samples obtained during the survey was determined by indirect competitive ELISA. The results indicated a significant (P<0.01) level of awareness about aflatoxins among farmers belonging to PMGs (90.6%) than those who did not (58.1%). A significantly higher percentage of PMG farmers practiced sorting and grading. In addition, a significantly (P<0.01) higher percentage of PMG respondents (89.5%) employed cultural methods of pest control compared with the non PMG farmers (52.2%). However, levels of aflatoxins in groundnut samples taken from both categories of farmers did not differ, suggesting a lag between the time farmers receive a message and its implementation. These results indicate that PMGs have contributed substantially to increased awareness about aflatoxins and underscore the need for up-scaling training of farmers on specific measures that reduce the risk of exposure

Groundnut Production Guide for Uganda: Recommended Practices for Farmers

Groundnut is one of the staple crops in the Uganda rich in protein, oil and essential minerals. The crop is increasingly becoming a cash crop and both production area and productivity are increasing. This is evident by the significant expansion of the industry in Uganda and with spillovers in the neighbouring countries. The end-users’ preferences of groundnuts vary and are dynamic. The crop also suffers from numerous pests and diseases and erratic weather that affect production. The National Groundnuts Improvement Programme responded to these challenges by developing groundnuts varieties to meets these challenges. The manual contains valuable scientific information about crop management topics such as land preparation, varietal selection, seed management, crop protection and postharvest management under Ugandan conditions. The appendices contain a catalogue of groundnut varieties released since 1966 with their yields and botanical classifications. This is in addition to the summarized poster of recommended practices at major growth stages covering pre- and post harvest operations The manual is carefully written in comprehensible language while making no scientific compromises. I believe that this production manual will become an essential source of ideas and information for any farmer, extension staff, and researchers interested in cultivating groundnuts in Uganda. NARO as a leader of quality agricultural research and development in the country and the region furnishes the users with practical technologies and the accompanying packages. Publication of this production manual is thus timely, and will help the wide spectrum of industry stakeholders (agricultural researchers, extension people, smallholder producers, agricultural consultants and commercial producers) by providing information on best management practices that will improve groundnut productivity and quality. I sincerely thank the development partners for their contribution towards the production of this manual. The management of NARO applauds this effort by the authors and hope that the messages in the manual reach the intended users as we strive towards a sustainable quality groundnut production and productivity, and improvement of livelihoods

HERITABILITY FOR RESISTANCE TO ROSETTE DISEASE IN EXOTIC VALENCIA GROUNDNUTS

Groundnut rosette disease (GRD) is the most destructive virus disease of Valencia groundnuts ( Arachis hypogaea L.) in sub-Saharan Africa. Cultural, biological and chemical control measures have received limited success due to small scale farmers\u2019 inability to use them. Use of host plant resistance provides the most effective and economically viable management option for the resource poor farmers. This study was conducted to determine heritability for resistance to GRD in Valencia groundnuts. Six crosses; Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 90704 (P2), Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 96801(P2), Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 99566 (P2), NuMex-M3 (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 90704 (P2), NuMex-M3 7 ICGV-SM 96801 (P2), and NuMex-M3 (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 99566 (P2), were made to generate F1, F2, BC1P1 and BC1P2 populations. Data on GRD severity were collected on a 1-9 score scale. Genetic Advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM) and heritability were estimated using variance components. Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation (PCV) and Genotypic Coefficient of Variation (GCV) estimates were high (20.04-70.1%) in the six crosses, except for Valencia C 7 ICGV-SM 96801(18.1%) and NuMex-M3 7 ICGV-SM 96801(17.1%), which exhibited moderate GCV values. Broad and narrow sense heritability estimates for GRD disease score ranged from 64.1 to 73.7% and 31 to 41.9%, respectively, in all the crosses. GAM was high in all the crosses (21-50.7%), except for Valencia C x ICGV-SM 96801 (14.67), M3 x ICGV-SM 99566 (18%) and NuMex-M3 x ICGV-SM 96801 (13.5%) crosses that exhibited moderate GAM. The study revealed the presence of variability of GRD resistance, implying that genetic improvement of these exotic materials is possible.La maladie de rosette chez l\u2019arachide ( Arachis hypogaea L.) est la plus destructive des maladies virales chez les vari\ue9t\ue9s Valencia en Afrique au sud du Sahara. Les moyens de lutte culturale, biologique et chimique pr\ue9sentent des limitations surtout li\ue9es \ue0 l\u2019inhabilit\ue9 des petits producteurs \ue0 les mettre en pratique. L\u2019utilisation de vari\ue9t\ue9s resistantes repr\ue9sente le moyen le plus efficace et \ue9conomiquement viable pour les petits producteurs. La pr\ue9sente \ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 conduite afin de d\ue9terminer l\u2019h\ue9ritabilit\ue9 de la r\ue9sistance \ue0 la maladie de rosette chez les vari\ue9t\ue9s d\u2019arachide Valencia. Six croisements; Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 90704 (P2), Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 96801(P2), Valencia C (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 99566 (P2), NuMex-M3 (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 90704 (P2), NuMex-M3 7 ICGV-SM 96801 (P2), et NuMex-M3 (P1) 7 ICGV-SM 99566 (P2), ont \ue9t\ue9 effectu\ue9s afin de g\ue9n\ue9rer F1, F2, BC1P1 et BC1P2 populations. Des donn\ue9es ont \ue9t\ue9 collect\ue9es sur le degr\ue9 s\ue9v\ue9rit\ue9 de GRD en se servant d\u2019une \ue9chelle de 1-9. Les param\ue8tres d\u2019avanc\ue9e g\ue9n\ue9tique exprim\ue9e en pourcentage de la moyenne (GAM) et h\ue9ritabilit\ue9 ont \ue9t\ue9 estim\ue9s \ue0 partir de composantes de variance. Le coefficient de variation ph\ue9notypique (PCV) et g\ue9notypique (GCV) estim\ue9s \ue9taient \ue9lev\ue9s (20,04-70,1%) dans les six croisements, sauf pour Valencia C 7 ICGV-SM 96801(18,1%) et NuMex-M3 7 ICGV-SM 96801(17,1%), o\uf9 les valeurs de GCV \ue9taient mod\ue9r\ue9es. Les valeurs de l\u2019h\ue9ritabilit\ue9 au sens large et au sens strict pour la r\ue9sistance \ue0 GRD variaient respectivement de 64,1 \ue0 73,7% et de 31 \ue0 41,9%, au niveau de tous les croisements. Les valeurs de GAM \ue9taient \ue9lev\ue9es au niveau de tous les croisements (21-50,7%), sauf pour les croisements Valencia C x ICGV-SM 96801 (14,67), M3 x ICGV-SM 99566 (18%) et NuMex-M3 x ICGV-SM 96801 (13,5%) o\uf9 les valeurs de GAM \ue9taient mod\ue9r\ue9es. L\u2019\ue9tude a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 l\u2019existence dans la r\ue9sistance au GRD, ceci implique qu\u2019il est possible d\u2019entreprendre l\u2019am\ue9lioration g\ue9n\ue9tique de ces mat\ue9riels