Study of an Educational Hand Sorting Intervention for Reducing Aflatoxin B₁ in Groundnuts in Rural Gambia

Aflatoxin, a human liver carcinogen, frequently contaminates groundnuts, maize, rice, and other grains, especially in Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention that involved training rural Gambian women on how to identify and remove moldy groundnuts to reduce aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) contamination. In total, 25 women, recruited from the West Kiang region of The Gambia, were trained on how to recognize and remove moldy groundnuts. Market-purchased groundnuts were hand sorted by the women. Groundnuts were sampled at baseline (n =5), after hand sorting (“clean,” n =25 and “moldy,” n =25), and after roasting (n =5). All samples were analyzed for AFB₁ by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A reduction of 42.9% was achieved based on the median AFB₁ levels at baseline and after hand sorting (clean groundnuts), whereas an alternative estimate, based on the total AFB₁ in moldy and clean groundnuts, indicated a reduction of 96.7%, with a loss of only 2% of the groundnuts. By roasting the already clean sorted groundnuts, the AFB₁ reduction achieved (based on median levels) was 39.3%. This educational intervention on how to identify and remove moldy groundnuts was simple and effective in reducing AFB₁ contamination

Groundnut policies, global trade dynamics, and the impact of trade liberalization

Groundnut products are of central economic importance to millions of smallholders in Africa, India, and Southern China. The products generate 60 percent of rural cash income and account for about 70 percent of the rural labor force in Senegal and The Gambia. Groundnut trade is heavily distorted, and this has affected the competitive position of various players in world markets. Using a partial-equilibrium, multi-market, international model, the authors analyze the trade and welfare effects of several groundnut trade liberalization scenarios compared with the recent historical baseline. They evaluate net welfare as the sum of consumers'equivalent variation, quasi-profits in farming, quasi-profits in crushing, and taxpayers'revenues and outlays implied by distortions. The authors find that trade liberalization in groundnut markets has a strong South-South dimension with policies in India, and to a lesser extent China, heavily depressing the world prices of groundnut products at the expense of smaller developing countries mainly located in Africa. Under free trade, African exporters would gain because they are net sellers of groundnut products. In India, consumers would be better off with lower consumer prices resulting from the removal of prohibitive tariffs and large imports of groundnut products. The cost of adjustment would fall on Indian farmers and crushers. In China, crush margins would improve because of the large terms of trade effects in the groundnut oil market relative to the seed market. China's groundnut product exports would expand dramatically. Net buyers of groundnut products in OECD countries would be worse off. The authors draw implications for the Doha negotiations.Food&Beverage Industry,Environmental Economics&Policies,Markets and Market Access,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Environmental Economics&Policies,Food&Beverage Industry,Economic Theory&Research,Access to Markets

Supplier reputation and price premium: the case of groundnuts in Rotterdam

Firm’s reputation depends on the quality of its goods and its reliability as a supplier. This may explain observed price differences between commodities from different origins but with the same observable characteristics. We analyse data for the Rotterdam market and use hedonic price analysis to show the existence of a price premium that favours the US over other origins. As secondary information points out exporter reliability as one explanation we formalise the relationship between reliability and price premiums in a theoretical model and analyse its implications.firm reputation, supplier reliability, price differences, groundnuts trade, hedonic analysis, country of origin, Demand and Price Analysis, Crop Production/Industries,

Cultivation and marketing of farm products in the hinterland of Gombe, NE-Nigeria

The study investigates elements influencing agricultural development in villages of the hinterland of Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. It aims to discover changes in socio-economic and socio-cultural interactions that exist among household, region, nation and world market. Of special interests are rural households as well as wholesale markets where dynamic processes in the structure of agricultural enterprises and the individual reasons of innovations are recognisable. The final objective of the study is to analyse the agricultural sector in the investigated villages in time and space, by typifying rural households, there strategies of action in relation to different factors: for example, farmsize, cultivation techniques and marketing of agriculture products. The study is also interested in operational profits and costs of farms, income of households as well as expenditures, etc. Because of the fact that statistical work is still going on, it is only possible to present a small portion of the results. Namely, the change in cultivation and marketing of farm products with special emphasis on cash crops during the last 30 years

Groundnut Trade Liberalization: Could the South Help the South?

This paper analyzes policies affecting global groundnut-products markets. The new US groundnut policy is now a minor source of distortion in world markets where India and China stand out as the major distorters. We analyze and quantify the effects of groundnut-products trade liberalization on consumer welfare and producer income. Our analysis shows that African exporters would gain significantly from reductions in protection and subsidies in India, and to a lesser extent, China, although Chinaï¾’s exports of food-quality groundnuts would expand dramatically. Net-importing OECD countries would suffer from higher world prices. The paper draws direct implications for the Doha trade negotiations.

Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Senegal

Distorted incentives, agricultural and trade policy reforms, national agricultural development, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, F13, F14, Q17, Q18,

The sequencing of agricultural market reforms in Malawi

The paper analyzes the welfare impacts of alternative sequencing scenarios of agricultural market reforms in Malawi using a profit maximization approach. The simulation results show that, contrary to the sequencing path adopted in the 1980's, Malawi's Government should have liberalized the maize sector first, followed by the groundnut export sector, and once a supply response was generated, input subsidies could have been phased out, without generating a negative impact on producers' welfare and food security.Agricultural economics. ,Food security Malawi. ,