Abstract
Potato is a key food and cash crop in Uganda, mainly produced by smallholder farmers in the eastern and southwestern highlands of the country. This study assessed different factors influencing the choice of storage technologies by Ugandan potato farmers. Data were collected from 240 potato farmers using structured questionnaires in key potato producing districts in eastern and southwestern Uganda. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the multinomial probit regression model. Results indicate that potato farmers have limited access to credit and adequate extension services. Furthermore, most of the potato production is sold immediately after harvest. Although significant quantities of potato are stored as food for the household and seed for the next season, very few farmers store ware potato for later sale at a higher price. The farmer households generally use light storage technologies designed for seed storage, while dark stores required for proper ware potato storage are rarely used. Results for factors influencing the choice of storage technologies were mixed, and the extent and direction of influence varied with technology. The predominant factors that positively influenced the choice of dark storage technologies or a combination of different storage technologies included monthly income from sources other than potato sales, access to storage management advice and access to credit. This study recommends enhancing farmers’ access to adequate extension services and credit to promote good ware potato storage conditions.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world’s number one nongrain food commodity and the fourth most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize [1]
Other storage facilities used to a lesser extent by potato farmers include kitchen (16%), living room (13%), dark room in the house (12%), granary covered with mud (5%), dark store (7%), bedroom (1%), and granary not covered with mud (1%) (Figure 1)
Very few farmers (0.4%) store potato as ware potato for later sale and miss the opportunity to increase their income by exploiting the seasonal market price fluctuations
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world’s number one nongrain food commodity and the fourth most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize [1]. Cultivated in the western, southwestern, and eastern highlands of the country, the potato has recently expanded to low- and midland areas in central and northwestern Uganda [7]. Low seed potato quality is considered one of the major factors leading to low yields. Potato farmers generally recycle their own seed from previous harvests or obtain their planting material informally from other farmers or in the open market. This seed is often infected with seed-borne pathogens [8]. Premature harvesting and poor harvesting techniques are major concerns negatively affecting tuber quality and leading to high yield losses [11]. Diseases, rotting, and theft are considered by potato farmers as the leading causes of postharvest losses [12]
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