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Investigating the potential of sea freighting sweet potato from East Africa

Published by:
Publication date
25/05/2010
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Studies
Focus Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Focus Topic:
Agricultural Value Chains / Agri-Businesses
Type of Risk:
Managerial & operational
Logistical & infrastructural
Biological & environmental
Type of Risk Managment Option:
Risk reduction/mitigation
Commodity:
Crops
Source
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/r4d/PDF/Outputs/R8273z_1.pdf
Author
Sweetpotato Coalition Project

In Uganda, sweet potato (SP) on-farm production has at least tripled as a result of many (93% in 3 sampled districts) farmers adopting improved varieties. The major bottleneck now is low market prices and hence low income for the farmers. Farmers are risk-averse and will not produce more SP for a commercial outlet without a guaranteed market. Efforts now are geared to linking SP farmers to markets hence this study of simulating sea freighting of SP under controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions. The objectives of the study were two-fold, to assess the performance of sweet potato under simulated sea freight conditions and give an estimated cost of sea freighting sweet potato.