3 - An analysis of costs associated with maize storage facilities used by rural smallholder farmers in Uganda
Corresponding Author(s) : Anthony Tibaingana
Africa Development,
Vol. 49 No. 2 (2024): Africa Development
Abstract
This article assessed the acquisition, maintenance and storage costs associated with different types of storage facilities used by smallholder maize farmers in Uganda, applying cost-based descriptive analysis. These costs influenced the farmers’ decisions about the type of storage facility to use. Poor storage exacerbates losses that result from pests, rats and rot. The findings show that the high costs of acquiring storage and maintenance precluded smallholder maize farmers from accessing good storage. For policy purposes, more investment needs to be directed towards acquiring safe storage to reduce exposure to risk and protect smallholder farmers from food and income insecurity. This article serves to illuminate the storage challenges at the household level to increase food and income security and assuage poverty. The study’s conclusion on the analysis of storage is indicative only. Further research that includes a representative number of storage facilities per storage type needs to be carried out, including a cost-benefit analysis.
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- Abass, A.B., Ndunguru, G., Mamiro, P., Alenkhe, B., Mlingi, N., and Bekunda, M., 2014, Postharvest food losses in a maize-based farming system of semi-arid savannah area of Tanzania, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 57, pp. 49–57. Amare, M., and Shiferaw, B., 2017, Agricultural productivity and rural household welfare distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) policy brief, number 162. https://www.africaportal.org/publications/agricultural-productivity-and-rural-household-welfare-distribution-sub-saharan-africa/ Affognon, H., Mutungi, C., Sanginga, P., and Borgemeister, C., 2015, Unpacking postharvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis, World Development, Vol. 66, 49–68.
- Chigoverah, A.A., and Mvumi, B.M., 2016, Efficacy of metal silos and hermetic bags against stored maize insect pests under simulated smallholder farmer conditions, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 69, pp. 179–189.
- Chuma, T., Mudhara, M., and Govereh, J., 2020, The effects of grain storage technologies on maize marketing behaviour of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (JARTS), Vol. 121, No. 1, pp. 1–12.
- D’Amour, C.B., Wenz, L., Kalkuhl, M., Steckel, J.C., and Creutzig, F., 2016, Teleconnected food supply shocks, Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 11 , No. 3, 035007.
- David, T., Gitau, R., Meyer, F.H., Chisanga, B., and Jayne, T.S., 2016, Evaluating price volatility and the role of trade in Eastern and Southern African maize markets, in African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) Fifth International Conference, 23–26 September 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (No. 249291).
- Gitonga, Z.M., De Groote, H., Kassie, M., and Tefera, T., 2013, Impact of metal silos on households’ maize storage, storage losses and food security: An application of a propensity score matching, Food Policy, Vol. 43, pp. 44–55.
- Gitonga, Z.M., De Groote, H., and Tefera, T., 2015, Metal silo grain storage technology and household food security in Kenya, Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, Vol. 7, No. 6, pp. 222–230.
- Hodges, R.J., Buzby, J.C., and Bennett, B., 2011, Postharvest losses and waste in developed and less developed countries: opportunities to improve resource use, The Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 149 (S1), pp. 37–45.
- Israel, G.D., 1992, Determining sample size, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, EDIS. https:// www.academia.edu/21353552/Determining_Sample_Size_1
- Kaaya, N.A., and Warren, H.L., 2005, Review of past and present research on Aflatoxin in Uganda, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 5, No. 1.
- Kadjo, D., Ricker-Gilbert, J., and Alexander, C., 2016, Estimating Price Discounts for Low-Quality Maize in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Benin, World Development, Vol. 77, pp. 115–128.
- Kaminski, J., and Christiaensen, L., 2014, Post-harvest loss in sub-Saharan Africa – what do farmers say? Global Food Security, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 149–158.
- Kimenju, S.C., and De Groote, H., 2010, Economic analysis of alternative maize storage technologies in Kenya. Paper presented at the Joint 3rd African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) and 48th Agricultural Economists Association of South Africa (AEASA) Conference, September 2010. Cape Town, South Africa,.
- Makaza, K., and Mabhegedhe, M., 2016, Smallholder farmers’ indigenous knowledge of maize storage pests and pesticidal plant use: The case of Wards 9 and 10 in Bikita District, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 11, No. 47, pp. 4831–4839.
- Mendoza, J.R., Sabillón, L., Martinez, W., Campabadal, C., Hallen-Adams, H.E., and Bianchini, A., 2017, Traditional maize post-harvest management practices amongst smallholder farmers in Guatemala, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 71, pp. 14–21.
- Midega, C.A., Murage, A.W., Pittchar, J.O., and Khan, Z.R., 2016, Managing storage pests of maize: Farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and practices in western Kenya, Crop Protection, Vol. 90, pp. 142–149.
- Moshi, A.P., and Matoju, I., 2017, The status of research on and application of biopesticides in Tanzania. Review, Crop Protection, Vol. 92, pp. 16–28.
- National Planning Authority (NPA), 2013, Policy Paper on Transforming Smallholder Farming in to Modern Agriculture in Uganda. Kampala: National Planning Authority. http://npa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NPA-PEC-PAPER- TRANSFORMING-SMALLHOLDER-FARMING-TO-MODERN- AGRICULTURE-IN-UGANDA.pdf
- Ndegwa, M.K., De Groote, H., Gitonga, Z.M., and Bruce, A.Y., 2016, Effectiveness and economics of hermetic bags for maize storage: Results of a randomized controlled trial in Kenya, Crop Protection, Vol. 90, pp. 17–26.
- Okoboi, G., Muwanga, J., and Mwebaze, T., 2012, Use of improved inputs and its
- effect on maize yield and profit in Uganda, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 12, No. 7.
- Shee, A., Mayanja, S., Simba, E., Stathers, T., Bechoff, A., and Bennett, B., 2019, Determinants of postharvest losses along smallholder maize producers and sweet potato value chains: An ordered Probit analysis, Food Security, Vol. 11, No. 5,
- pp. 1101–1120.
- Sserumaga, J.P., Makumbi, D., Simyung, L., Njoroge, K., Muthomi, J. W., Chemining’wa, G.N., Asea, G., Waswa, M., and Bomet, D.K., 2015, Incidence and severity of potentially toxigenic Aspergillus flavus in maize (Zea mays L.) from different major maize growing regions of Uganda, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 10, No. 11, pp. 1244–1250.
- Suleiman, R.A., Rosentrater, K.A., and Bern, C. J., 2013, Effects of Deterioration Parameters on Storage of Maize, Journal of Natural Sciences Research, Vol.3, pp. 147–165.
- Tanumihardjo, S.A., McCulley, L., Roh, R., Lopez-Ridaura, S., Palacios-Rojas, N., and Gunaratna, N.S., 2019, Maize agro-food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals, Global Food Security, 100327.
- Tefera, T., 2012, Post-harvest losses in African maize in the face of increasing food shortage, Food security, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 267–277.
- Tefera, T., Kanampiu, F., De Groote, H., Hellin, J., Mugo, S., Kimenju, S., Beyene, Y., Prasanna, M., Boddupalli, P.M., Shiferaw, B., and Banziger, M., 2011, The metal silo: An effective grain storage technology for reducing post-harvest insect and pathogen losses in maize while improving smallholder farmers’ food security in developing countries, Crop Protection, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 240–245.
- Tibaingana, A., Kele, T., and Makombe, G., 2018, Storage practices and their bearing on smallholder farmers: Postharvest analysis in Uganda, South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 45–56.
- UN, 2019, World Population Prospect, 2019. https://population.un.org/wpp/ Publications/ Accessed 5 May 2021.
- Wanyama, J., 2016, Profiling agricultural engineering technologies for mechanizing smallholder agriculture in Uganda, Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4, 40–51.
- Williams, S.B., Murdock, L.L., and Baributsa, D., 2017, Storage of Maize in Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) Bags, PloS One, Vol. 12, No. 1, e0168624.
- Yakubu, A., Wilson, L.A., Bern, C.J., and Brumm, T.J., 2016, Use of recycled containers for hermetic maize storage In East Africa, Journal of Stored Products and Postharvest Research, Vol. 7, No. 6, pp. 53–60.
- Yusuf, B.L., and He, Y., 2011, Design, development and techniques for controlling grains post-harvest losses with metal silo for small and medium-scale farmers,
- African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 10, No. 65, pp. 14552–14561.
References
Abass, A.B., Ndunguru, G., Mamiro, P., Alenkhe, B., Mlingi, N., and Bekunda, M., 2014, Postharvest food losses in a maize-based farming system of semi-arid savannah area of Tanzania, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 57, pp. 49–57. Amare, M., and Shiferaw, B., 2017, Agricultural productivity and rural household welfare distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) policy brief, number 162. https://www.africaportal.org/publications/agricultural-productivity-and-rural-household-welfare-distribution-sub-saharan-africa/ Affognon, H., Mutungi, C., Sanginga, P., and Borgemeister, C., 2015, Unpacking postharvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis, World Development, Vol. 66, 49–68.
Chigoverah, A.A., and Mvumi, B.M., 2016, Efficacy of metal silos and hermetic bags against stored maize insect pests under simulated smallholder farmer conditions, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 69, pp. 179–189.
Chuma, T., Mudhara, M., and Govereh, J., 2020, The effects of grain storage technologies on maize marketing behaviour of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (JARTS), Vol. 121, No. 1, pp. 1–12.
D’Amour, C.B., Wenz, L., Kalkuhl, M., Steckel, J.C., and Creutzig, F., 2016, Teleconnected food supply shocks, Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 11 , No. 3, 035007.
David, T., Gitau, R., Meyer, F.H., Chisanga, B., and Jayne, T.S., 2016, Evaluating price volatility and the role of trade in Eastern and Southern African maize markets, in African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) Fifth International Conference, 23–26 September 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (No. 249291).
Gitonga, Z.M., De Groote, H., Kassie, M., and Tefera, T., 2013, Impact of metal silos on households’ maize storage, storage losses and food security: An application of a propensity score matching, Food Policy, Vol. 43, pp. 44–55.
Gitonga, Z.M., De Groote, H., and Tefera, T., 2015, Metal silo grain storage technology and household food security in Kenya, Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, Vol. 7, No. 6, pp. 222–230.
Hodges, R.J., Buzby, J.C., and Bennett, B., 2011, Postharvest losses and waste in developed and less developed countries: opportunities to improve resource use, The Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 149 (S1), pp. 37–45.
Israel, G.D., 1992, Determining sample size, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, EDIS. https:// www.academia.edu/21353552/Determining_Sample_Size_1
Kaaya, N.A., and Warren, H.L., 2005, Review of past and present research on Aflatoxin in Uganda, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 5, No. 1.
Kadjo, D., Ricker-Gilbert, J., and Alexander, C., 2016, Estimating Price Discounts for Low-Quality Maize in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Benin, World Development, Vol. 77, pp. 115–128.
Kaminski, J., and Christiaensen, L., 2014, Post-harvest loss in sub-Saharan Africa – what do farmers say? Global Food Security, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 149–158.
Kimenju, S.C., and De Groote, H., 2010, Economic analysis of alternative maize storage technologies in Kenya. Paper presented at the Joint 3rd African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) and 48th Agricultural Economists Association of South Africa (AEASA) Conference, September 2010. Cape Town, South Africa,.
Makaza, K., and Mabhegedhe, M., 2016, Smallholder farmers’ indigenous knowledge of maize storage pests and pesticidal plant use: The case of Wards 9 and 10 in Bikita District, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 11, No. 47, pp. 4831–4839.
Mendoza, J.R., Sabillón, L., Martinez, W., Campabadal, C., Hallen-Adams, H.E., and Bianchini, A., 2017, Traditional maize post-harvest management practices amongst smallholder farmers in Guatemala, Journal of Stored Products Research, Vol. 71, pp. 14–21.
Midega, C.A., Murage, A.W., Pittchar, J.O., and Khan, Z.R., 2016, Managing storage pests of maize: Farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and practices in western Kenya, Crop Protection, Vol. 90, pp. 142–149.
Moshi, A.P., and Matoju, I., 2017, The status of research on and application of biopesticides in Tanzania. Review, Crop Protection, Vol. 92, pp. 16–28.
National Planning Authority (NPA), 2013, Policy Paper on Transforming Smallholder Farming in to Modern Agriculture in Uganda. Kampala: National Planning Authority. http://npa.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NPA-PEC-PAPER- TRANSFORMING-SMALLHOLDER-FARMING-TO-MODERN- AGRICULTURE-IN-UGANDA.pdf
Ndegwa, M.K., De Groote, H., Gitonga, Z.M., and Bruce, A.Y., 2016, Effectiveness and economics of hermetic bags for maize storage: Results of a randomized controlled trial in Kenya, Crop Protection, Vol. 90, pp. 17–26.
Okoboi, G., Muwanga, J., and Mwebaze, T., 2012, Use of improved inputs and its
effect on maize yield and profit in Uganda, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 12, No. 7.
Shee, A., Mayanja, S., Simba, E., Stathers, T., Bechoff, A., and Bennett, B., 2019, Determinants of postharvest losses along smallholder maize producers and sweet potato value chains: An ordered Probit analysis, Food Security, Vol. 11, No. 5,
pp. 1101–1120.
Sserumaga, J.P., Makumbi, D., Simyung, L., Njoroge, K., Muthomi, J. W., Chemining’wa, G.N., Asea, G., Waswa, M., and Bomet, D.K., 2015, Incidence and severity of potentially toxigenic Aspergillus flavus in maize (Zea mays L.) from different major maize growing regions of Uganda, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 10, No. 11, pp. 1244–1250.
Suleiman, R.A., Rosentrater, K.A., and Bern, C. J., 2013, Effects of Deterioration Parameters on Storage of Maize, Journal of Natural Sciences Research, Vol.3, pp. 147–165.
Tanumihardjo, S.A., McCulley, L., Roh, R., Lopez-Ridaura, S., Palacios-Rojas, N., and Gunaratna, N.S., 2019, Maize agro-food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals, Global Food Security, 100327.
Tefera, T., 2012, Post-harvest losses in African maize in the face of increasing food shortage, Food security, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 267–277.
Tefera, T., Kanampiu, F., De Groote, H., Hellin, J., Mugo, S., Kimenju, S., Beyene, Y., Prasanna, M., Boddupalli, P.M., Shiferaw, B., and Banziger, M., 2011, The metal silo: An effective grain storage technology for reducing post-harvest insect and pathogen losses in maize while improving smallholder farmers’ food security in developing countries, Crop Protection, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 240–245.
Tibaingana, A., Kele, T., and Makombe, G., 2018, Storage practices and their bearing on smallholder farmers: Postharvest analysis in Uganda, South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 45–56.
UN, 2019, World Population Prospect, 2019. https://population.un.org/wpp/ Publications/ Accessed 5 May 2021.
Wanyama, J., 2016, Profiling agricultural engineering technologies for mechanizing smallholder agriculture in Uganda, Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4, 40–51.
Williams, S.B., Murdock, L.L., and Baributsa, D., 2017, Storage of Maize in Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) Bags, PloS One, Vol. 12, No. 1, e0168624.
Yakubu, A., Wilson, L.A., Bern, C.J., and Brumm, T.J., 2016, Use of recycled containers for hermetic maize storage In East Africa, Journal of Stored Products and Postharvest Research, Vol. 7, No. 6, pp. 53–60.
Yusuf, B.L., and He, Y., 2011, Design, development and techniques for controlling grains post-harvest losses with metal silo for small and medium-scale farmers,
African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 10, No. 65, pp. 14552–14561.