Value Chain Analysis on Post Harvest Handling and Technologies: Unlocking the Potential of Postharvest Technologies through Innovative Business Models to Enhance Sustainable Food Security and Incomes for Smallholder Farmers in Zambia

2022

English

76 p.

WFPVCA014

Reducing postharvest losses in smallholder-dominated agrifood value chains is negatively affected by various factors including the low adoption of recommended postharvest practices and technologies by smallholder farmers. A value chain analysis on grain postharvest handling technologies in Zambia was conducted to understand major loss-causing agents, identify critical loss points and evaluate the return on investments associated with different postharvest technologies with a view of recommending a base business model to enhance the adoption of postharvest technologies and reduce postharvest losses with the intended outcome of increasing household food security and incomes among the smallholder farmers. The study was conducted in 11 districts of Zambia with data being collected through a literature review, key informant interviews of various actors, focus group discussions and farming household structured interviews. Focus crops for the study were: white maize, groundnuts, sunflower, soybeans, cowpeas, and common beans. Identified critical loss points were; maize, harvesting and storage stages; soybeans, farm threshing or shelling, harvesting and winnowing stages; groundnuts and common beans, harvesting stage; and cowpeas had insignificant losses across all the postharvest stages. On-fam storage stage had more postharvest technology options compared to any other stages. The market in Zambia has limited affordable postharvest technology options for smallholder farmers leading to low acceptance and adoption. Hermetic storage technologies were identified as some of the recommended storage technologies available in Zambia. The Agro-dealer was identified as the main distribution channel linking supply from distributors and manufacturers to the demand from smallholder farmers. Constraints associated with the cost-effectiveness of hermetic storage technologies and availability at the last mile included low awareness among farmers, limited demand, poor marketing and distribution networks, market irregularities for stored products and lack of supportive policies and regulations. The study recommended an integrated approach to promoting postharvest technologies to cater for the production side of agricultural commodities, improve access to markets for smallholder farmers, public-private sector engagements to strengthen distribution channels, extension services and availability of postharvest technologies and creating a conducive enabling environment through favourable tax incentives for manufacturers or importers.

PHL Venture

VCA 014

English

DOC-126414