Performance perceptions among supply chain members: A triadic assessment of the influence of supply chain relationship quality on supply chain performance

Purpose: A good supply chain relationship quality (RQ) is a crucial precursor for any stable exchange relationship which ensures relationship continuity. Although empirical research suggests that strengthening RQ improves supply chain performance (SCP), most studies have focused on dyadic business relationships. To fully understand the relational behaviour of a firm embedded in a supply chain, we need to look beyond the dyad into triads. This paper investigates how SCP is influenced by RQ in a triadic agribusiness supply chain.Design/methodology/approach: Evidence is drawn from a quantitative survey of 150 agribusiness firms in the maize supply chain in Uganda. Data was collected in triadic context from 50 direct supply chains each composing of a supplier, focal firm and customer. Multi-group structural equations modelling (SEM) was used to assess the differences in perception on the influence of RQ on SCP amongst the supply chain members. Findings: Results provides empirical support for the positive influence of RQ on SCP. SEM reveals differences in perception between the upstream and downstream and amongst the supply chains members. While focal firms considered conflict, coercive power, commitment and trust to be important; suppliers considered trust, dependency and non-coercive power; and customers considered trust, dependency and coercive power to be important RQ factors affecting supply chain performance. Practical implications: For agribusiness managers to enhance business performance there is need to cultivate strong and mutual relationship with supply chain members. It is also important to know how to handle conflicts and use of power so as to realise the benefits of supply chain relationships. Originality/value: Our paper is novel in that it assesses SCP in a triadic context in an agribusiness sector from a developing country context. We used novel approaches including analysis of a triad, and multiple groups SEM to assess perceptions of each supply chain member’s

Iodine agronomic biofortification of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is effective under farmer field conditions

Iodine (I) is an essential micronutrient, which plays a critical role in human metabolism. However, its concentration is known to be low in most soils, making it deficient in crops. With most I agronomic biofortification studies conducted under controlled environments, limited information currently exists on this approach of enriching I deficient crops under farmer field conditions. Two-year field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to examine efficacy of cowpea and cabbage in the uptake of foliar applied potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3), each with 0, 5, 10, and 15 kg I ha(-1) under farmer field conditions. Results indicate that KI was 34% more efficient than KIO3. Iodine concentration increased with application rate. In cabbage, the lowest I concentration (8.2 mg kg(-1)) was registered at 5 kg I ha(-1) with KIO3 while the highest was 109.1 mg kg(-1) at 15 kg I ha(-1) with KI. Cowpea registered the lowest I concentration of 531.5 mg kg(-1) at 5 kg I ha(-1) with KIO3 while the highest (5854.2 mg kg(-1)) was registered at 15 kg I ha(-1) with KI. Therefore, cowpea and cabbage can be effectively biofortified through foliar application of both KI and KIO3 under farmer field conditions

Stakeholders' perceptions of agronomic iodine biofortification : a SWOT-AHP analysis in Northern Uganda

Agronomic biofortification (i.e., the application of fertilizer to elevate micronutrient concentrations in staple crops) is a recent strategy recommended for controlling Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs). However, its success inevitably depends on stakeholders' appreciation and acceptance of it. By taking Northern Uganda as a case, this study aimed to capture and compare the perceptions of seven key stakeholder groups with respect to agronomic iodine biofortification. Therefore, we employed a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis in combination with an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Findings show that stakeholders (n = 56) are generally positive about agronomic iodine biofortification in Uganda, as its strengths and opportunities outweighed weaknesses and threats. Cultural acceptance and effectiveness are considered the most important strengths while the high IDD prevalence rate and the availability of iodine deficient soils are key opportunities for further developing agronomic iodine biofortification. Environmental concerns about synthetic fertilizers as well as the time needed to supply iodine were considered crucial weaknesses. The limited use of fertilizer in Uganda was the main threat. While this study provides insight into important issues and priorities for iodine biofortification technology in Uganda, including differences in stakeholder views, the application of the SWOT-AHP method will guide future researchers and health planners conducting stakeholder analysis in similar domains

Economic feasibility of iodine agronomic biofortification: a projective analysis with Ugandan vegetable farmers

Cost–benefit analysis of (iodine) biofortification at farm level is limited in the literature. This study aimed to analyze the economic feasibility of applying iodine-rich fertilizers (agronomic biofortification) to cabbage and cowpea in Northern Uganda. Data on costs and revenues were obtained from a survey of 100 farmers, and benefits that would accrue from using iodine fertilizers were elicited using consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the iodine-biofortified vegetables. The cost–benefit analysis demonstrated iodine agronomic biofortification as a highly profitable effort, generating average benefit–cost ratios (BCRs) of 3.13 and 5.69 for cabbage and cowpea production, respectively, higher than the conventional production practice. However, the projective analysis showed substantive variations of economic gains from iodine biofortification among farmers, possibly due to differences in farming practices and managerial capabilities. For instance, only 74% of cabbage farmers would produce at a BCR above 1 if they were to apply iodine fertilizer. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to estimate the effect of subsidizing the cost of iodine fertilizer showed that a higher proportion of farmers would benefit from iodine biofortification. Therefore, as biofortification is considered a health policy intervention targeting the poor and vulnerable, farmers could be supported through fertilizer subsidies to lower the production cost of iodine-biofortified foods and to avoid passing on the price burden to vulnerable consumers

Fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in the manure-amended soil-plant ecosystem of Brassica oleracea under tropical field conditions in the Central Agro-Ecological Zone of Uganda

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium are important enteric food-borne pathogens that are known to inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of ruminant animals. Decline in soil fertility and exorbitant costs of mineral fertilisers have stimulated the utilization of cattle manure as a fertiliser in fresh vegetable production by small-holder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. In most cases farmers apply the manure directly into the soil without pre-treatment in order to save time and avoid costs associated with composting. This practice, coupled with inadvertent entry and deposition of faecal matter in crop field by communally grazing cattle can potentially lead to pre-harvest contamination of vegetables with E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium. The design of cost-effective strategies to enable safe use of cattle manure in fresh vegetable production under small-holder agricultural system in Sub-Saharan Africa is currently constrained by lack of sufficient knowledge on the behaviour of manure-borne pathogenic organisms in manure-amended soil and in the soil-plant ecosystem under tropical field conditions. The general objective of this thesis was to establish the fate of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium in manure and manure-amended soil and to evaluate the risk of vegetable contamination with E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium when cultivated on soils amended with untreated bovine manure under tropical climatic conditions. This was achieved through a series of experiments performed in the laboratory and under field conditions in the Central Agro-Ecological Zone of Uganda (CAEZ) using cabbage as a model crop. A culture-based method to monitor CFU number of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium in a complex microbial community in agricultural fields was developed and validated. The method is based on the use of spontaneous mutants to rifampicin of non-pathogenic variants of E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43888) and S. Typhimurium (LT2) combined with CFU counting on selective media containing rifampicin. Validation experiments using gfp and ds-red labelled derivatives of the rifampicin-resistant mutants (Rifr) in a non-sterile manure-amended soil matrix demonstrated that the culture method was effective in the selection and recovery of the test strains without any detectable interference from background contaminants both in the short and in the long term. This culture-based detection method was used in subsequent experiments. The effect of moisture condition and inoculum density on survival of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S.Typhimurium-Rifr in manure and manure-amended soil was investigated by means of pot experiments in the screen house and in the field. Inoculum levels of 4 and 7 log CFU/g were challenged at two moisture conditions: (i) periodic addition of water to maintain the matrices at high moisture level (above 80% RH), and (ii) matrices left to field or screen house conditions. Results showed that maintaining the matrices at high moisture level promoted persistence of the 7 log CFU/g inocula and enhanced the decline of the 4 log CFU/g inocula in the screen house, but moisture condition did not affect survival of the organisms in the field. The two enteric bacteria survived longer in manure-amended soil than in manure. In the screen house, the 7 log CFU/g E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S.Typhimurium-Rifr survived for 49-77 and 63-98 days while the 4 log CFU/g E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr persisted for 21-28 and 35-42 days, respectively. In the field, the 7 log CFU/g E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr persisted for 63-84 and 77-98 days while the 4 log CFU/g E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr survived for 21 and 35-42 days, respectively. Survival kinetics of the 7 log CFU/g inocula in all matrices displayed complex patterns corresponding to the Double Weibull model, except for S. Typhimurium-Rifr in manure samples that experienced exclusive field conditions that followed the classical long-linear model. The times for CFU number of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr to reach the detection limit (ttd) of the plate count method (2 log CFU/g) according to the identified models were consistent with the observed values. However, the weekly sampling interval used for microbial analysis in this experiment did not provide sufficient data points above the detection limit of the plating method (2 log CFU/g) to enable modelling of the survivor curves of the 4 log CFU/g inocula. Due to this limitation, sampling frequency for the 4 log CFU/g inocula was increased in subsequent studies. During the survival of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr in manure and manure-amended soil under field and screen house conditions, temperature in the matrices fluctuated in the range of 16 to 42°C. We hypothesised that the observed survival times were due to the cumulative effect of the stress that the organisms experienced at various temperatures within the 16-42°C continuum. Based on this hypothesis, we postulated that decline rates obtained at various isothermal conditions within 16-42°C can be used to develop models for predicting survival under dynamic conditions in the field and in the screen house. S. Typhimurium-Rifr was selected as a model organism and used in subsequent isothermal experiments performed with 7 log CFU/g inoculum in manure and manure-amended soil at 16, 25, 37 and 42°C. The decline rates obtained at various temperatures were used to develop secondary models that were subsequently used to re-construct the decline rate of the organism under dynamic conditions in the field and in the screen house. The re-constructed field and screen house decline rates were used to generate CFU number as a function of time and used to predict the ttd. The predicted ttd of S. Typhimurium-Rifr in manure and in manure-amended soil in the field was 63-68 and 62 days, and 65and 61 days in the screen house, respectively. At the predicted ttd points the observed CFU numbers of S. Typhimurium-Rifr in manure and in manure-amended soil were around 2.2 and 3 log CFU/g, respectively, both under screen house and field conditions, which is a rather to very accurate model prediction, as the model uses only the following pieces of information: (i) level of starting population, (ii) survival kinetics obtained under isothermal conditions and (iii) the registered real temperature data. The risk of vegetable contamination following incorporation of non-composted cattle manure into the soil during cultivation was evaluated in the field using pot experiments. We specifically investigated the effect of time of manure amendment to soil during crop cultivation on surface contamination and internalisation of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr in cabbage leaf tissues at harvest (120 days post-transplantation). Fresh bovine manure inoculated with E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr were incorporated at the point of transplantation, 56 or 105 days post-transplantation into the soil to achieve initial inoculum concentrations of 4 or 7 log CFU/g. The persistence of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr in the soil when added at 4 log CFU/g was limited; only inocula applied 105 days post-transplantation were still present at harvest and were associated with 18/18 plants examined for leaf contamination being positive for both E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr at harvest. However, leaf-surface sterilisation with 1 % AgNO3 showed that the organisms were not internalised in cabbage leaf tissues. At 7 log CFU/g inoculum level, E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr survived in the soil throughout cultivation period. All the plants (18/18) examined for leaf contamination were positive for E. coli O157:H7-Rifr at harvest irrespective of time of manure application. The incidence of S. Typhimurium-Rifr on cabbage leaves at harvest was 18/18, 17/18 and 18/18 plants for manure applied at the point of transplantation, 56 and 105 days post-transplantation, respectively. Leaf-surface sterilisation with 1% AgNO3 showed that only plants (18/18) cultivated on soil amended with contaminated manure at the point of transplantation had internalised E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr at harvest. In the case of 4 log CFU/g inoculum, the Double Weibull model provided adequate description of the survivor curves. At 7 log CFU/g inoculum, survival curves were described by the Double Weibull model and the log-linear function that incorporates a shoulder parameter. In situations where CFU fell below the detection limit of the plate count method, the ttd values according to the Double Weibull model were similar to observed values. It was apparent that inocula added to the soil at the point of transplantation persisted longer in soil around roots of cabbage plants than earlier observed in manure-amended bulk soil in the field. This observation suggested the possibility of a rhizosphere effect. Therefore, field experiments were performed to compare survival of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr in the rhizosphere of cabbage plants and in bulk soil at inoculum densities of 4 and 7 log CFU/g. Results showed that the rhizosphere of cabbage plants had no effect on survival of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr when introduced into the soil at 4 log CFU/g and all the plants (6/6) examined for leaf contamination were negative for E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr at harvest. However, at 7 log CFU/g inoculum density, E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr survived in bulk soil for a maximum of 80 and 96 days, respectively, but remained culturable in the cabbage rhizosphere up to the time of harvest, thus confirming that the rhizosphere of cabbage plants enhances persistence at high inoculum density. In all situations, the Double Weibull model provided adequate description of the survival curves. The ttd values according to the model were consistent with observed values. Microbiological analysis of cabbage leaves showed that cultivation of cabbage on growth matrix spiked with 7 log CFU/g inoculum resulted in E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr contamination on vegetable leaves throughout the cultivation period. Leaf surface sterilisation with 1% AgNO3 indicated that the organisms were present superficially and in protected locations on the leaves. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrated that under tropical field conditions, E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium can persist in manure-amended soil for up to 4 and 6 weeks at low inoculum density, and for up to 12 and 14 weeks at high inoculum density, respectively. In the case of S. Typhimurium-Rifr, survival time (ttd) of the organism was 71-84 % determined by the temperature that the organism experienced in the matrices. Results of plant contamination experiments indicated that the risk of vegetable contamination at harvest and hence consumer safety might become eminent when manure contains high inoculum density irrespective of time of manure application or at low inoculum density when manure is incorporated into the soil near harvest. In addition, leaf surface sterilisation with 1% AgNO3 showed that internalisation of E. coli O157:H7-Rifr and S. Typhimurium-Rifr in cabbage leaf tissues was possible only when manure containing high inoculum density was introduced into the soil at the point of transplantation and was associated with enhanced persistence of the organisms in the rhizosphere. The knowledge acquired in this study forms a bench mark for further investigation into the behaviour of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium in manure, manure-amended soil and soil-plant ecosystem under tropical field conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa.status: publishe

The status of nutritional knowledge, attitude and practices associated with complementary feeding in a post‐conflict development phase setting: The case of Acholi sub‐region of Uganda

Inappropriate complementary feeding is an important challenge to proper child nutrition in post‐conflict rural areas in many sub‐Saharan African countries. While in protected areas during conflict situation and soon after during recovery, communities normally receive nutrition education as part of capacity building to improve knowledge, attitude, and practices to enable them manage maternal and child nutrition issues during the post‐conflict development phase. It is largely unknown whether capacity in nutrition provided is maintained and adequately applied in the post‐conflict development situation. Using Acholi sub‐region of Uganda, an area that experienced violent armed conflict for 20 years (mid‐80s–early 2000), as a case study, we examined the status of nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with complementary feeding among caregivers of 6‐ to 23‐month‐old children in a post‐conflict development phase following return to normalcy nearly 10 years post‐conflict emergency situation. The results showed that a high proportion of caregivers had good knowledge (88%) and attitude (90.1%) toward complementary feeding. However, only a half (50%) of them practiced correct nutrition behavior. Education status of the household head and sex of the child significantly predicted caregiver knowledge on complementary feeding (p ≤ 0.05). Education status of the household head also predicted caregiver attitude toward complementary feeding (p ≤ 0.05). Poverty, food insecurity, and maternal ill health were the major factors that hindered caregivers from practicing good complementary feeding behavior. These results demonstrate that nutrition education on complementary feeding provided to the community during conflict emergency and recovery situation is largely retained in terms of knowledge and attitude but poorly translated into good child feeding practices due to poverty, food insecurity, and maternal ill health. Maternal health, food security, and poverty reduction should be prioritized if adequate complementary feeding is to be achieved among conflict‐affected communities in the post‐conflict development phase

The effect of rosemary, ginger, or garlic on microbial shelf life and sensory acceptability of nutritionally enriched cassava-based pancake (Kabalagala)

Iron and vitamin A contents of Cassava-based pancake (Kabalagala), a delicacy among children in northern Uganda have recently been improved through the addition of biofortified iron-rich beans and orange-fleshed sweet potato. The nutritionally improved product (NIK) was designed as a strategy to address iron and vitamin A deficiencies which are endemic challenges among children in Uganda. However, the NIK had a lower microbial shelf life (24 h) than the original product (72 h). The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of the spices; rosemary, ginger, and garlic to improve the microbial shelf life of the NIK. Each of the spices was used individually to prepare NIK at a rate of 0.5, 0.75, and 1 %. The resultant products were evaluated for counts of total microbial load, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds as well as consumer sensory acceptability during storage at ambient temperature. Results of One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that all the spices exhibited potency against the microbial groups investigated only when included in the NIK at 0.75 % or 1 % (p 0.75 % garlic >1 % ginger >0.75 % ginger >0.5 % ginger in decreasing order. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a strong association between the sensory parameters examined (appearance, aroma, texture, taste) and the overall acceptability of the products (p < 0.05). The magnitude of association between appearance, aroma, texture, taste and overall acceptability varied between 0.396–0.703, 0.504–0.679, 0.452–0.589, and 0.498–0.698, respectively. This study has demonstrated that ginger or garlic when applied at 0.75–1 % improves microbial shelf life of NIK concomitant with better consumer sensory acceptability. Therefore, ginger or garlic can be applied at 0.75–1 % to produce microbiologically and sensorially acceptable NIK for use to improve intake of vitamin A and iron among children in Uganda

The student enterprise scheme for agribusiness innovation: A University-based training model for nurturing entrepreneurial mind-sets amongst African youths

Paradigm shifts in higher education have necessitated embracing and mainstreaming entrepreneurship education in training curricula. This is because entrepreneurial capacity building amongst the youth is considered the best approach for addressing unemployment, rural poverty and creation of responsible citizenry in Sub Saharan Africa. Reportedly, entrepreneurship education increases the chances for young people to start new businesses or even expand existing ones, gain confidence and so enhance their employability. However, one of the criticism of entrepreneurship education in Africa is that it is largely theoretical, and barely provides the much needed hands-on practice. This calls for training models of entrepreneurship that exhibit practical orientations. In light of this view, Gulu University in Uganda, introduced a practical approach of agri-entrepreneurship training branded as the Student Enterprise Scheme, in which students develop, defend, implement and evaluate agribusiness plans. The students are guided and supported with funds on credit to actualize economically viable and commercially sound business plans. Insights from the implementation of the scheme so far show that it is a useful practical approach for students to integrate theory and practice. This paper illustrates that although the linkage between student entrepreneurial activities and other stakeholders for Roundtable engagements requires further testing and refinement, the scheme is a good opportunity for young people to develop positive entrepreneurial mindsets and capabilities, start own businesses and enhance their employability. The study recommends strengthening linkages between university students and those in technical and vocational institutions to develop a higher educational value chain on entrepreneurship training. Furthermore, entrepreneurship programmes for young people should be connected to credit and micro-finance initiatives to enhance their entrepreneurial success