Post-Harvest Practices, Constraints and Opportunities Along Cassava Value Chain in Kenya

George Abong,Michael Okoth,Christine Masha,Margaret Kamidi,Solomon Shibairo,Richard Mulwa,Tom Wambua,Zadoc Mcosore,Peter Arama,Peter Lamuka,Elizabeth Wanjekeche,Joshua Ogendo

doi:10.12944/crnfsj.4.2.05

Abstract

Despite its great potential as a food, feed and for industrial application, its processing and marketing remains economically unexploited. A cross-sectional baseline survey was undertaken in Western (Migori and Busia) and Coastal (Kilifi and Kwale) regions of Kenya between March 2013 and February 2014 using structured questionnaires to assess the post-harvest practices, opportunities and constraints in cassava processing. Results indicate that cassava processing is predominantly (58%) a women affair, males accounting for 42% with modal processors age being 32 years. Flour was the most common processed cassava product in the Coast (33%) while dried chips was highly produced in Migori and Busia in equal proportion of 43%. Other important products included cassava crisps and composite flour. Coast region had a greater diversity of products which are none existent in other regions. Most of the processing across the regions are small scale with workers mostly being the owners and activities take place in open yards with majority of these being in Busia (85 %) followed by Migori (67 %) and Coast region (57 %). Constraints during cassava processing were ranked in the following order: irregular and inadequate supply coupled with low seasonal demand for cassava and cassava products; high perishability of cassava roots; lack of value addition and processing tools; poor group dynamics, cohesion and management structure; lack of capacity building in production and processing technologies. There is very limited value addition to cassava in the study regions and hence the need to develop innovative technologies as well as new domestic and industrial products. Consumer sensitization and awareness on utilization of cassava and cassava products may be key to its promotion.

Highlights

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food crop in a number of communities in sub-Sahara Africa and serves as a primary carbohydrate source in their diets
Over the last few years, there has been mounting recognition of the contribution that cassava can make towards improving food security, incomes and generating employment opportunities in the rural sector[4]
Processed cassava products Flour was the most common processed cassava product in the Coast (33%) while dried chips was highly produced in Migori and Busia in equal proportion of 43% (Figure 8)

Summary

Introduction

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food crop in a number of communities in sub-Sahara Africa and serves as a primary carbohydrate source in their diets. Its contribution to food security and incomes for rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa is well known[1, 2, 3]. Over the last few years, there has been mounting recognition of the contribution that cassava can make towards improving food security, incomes and generating employment opportunities in the rural sector[4]. Several post-harvest problems have, limited effective commercialization of the crop. Fresh cassava roots have a very short shelf-life of less than 72 hours after harvest and post-harvest losses of more than 23% for freshly harvested roots. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol 4(2), 114-126 (2016)

Methods

Results

Conclusion