Adopting Technologies that shorten food processing time for high-quality, and safe products (Cavagro Project)

Adopting Technologies that shorten food processing time for high-quality, and safe products (Cavagro Project)

Root crops and tubers are a vital staple in many African countries, including Uganda, where they are consumed both fresh and with minimal processing. Although these crops have a lower market value compared to cereals and legumes, their affordability makes them accessible to smallholder farmers and farmer groups for both consumption and sale. In their raw form, these crops are bulky, with 60-90% of their composition being water, making them highly perishable with estimated postharvest losses of 13% - 29% (FAO, 2011). This bulkiness not only increases storage and transportation costs but also exposes farmers to exploitation by brokers and other traders that normally offer lower prices. Smallholder farmers, lacking well-constructed storage facilities, often face high storage expenses and losses as observed by Tibagonzeka et al. (2019), which could arise from food safety hazards such as animals, pests and microorganisms. Such challenges are common among farmer groups and local traders' unions, many of whom cannot afford proper storage facilities or vehicles for efficient transportation.

Despite efforts by various stakeholders to support smallholder farmers in planting the right varieties, engaging in minimal processing, ensuring safety practices like drying on tarpaulin, and financial literacy, a significant portion of these crops are lost after harvest due to delayed processing and storage of the products. Using cassava as an example, significant losses occur during storage of the raw product, as well as prolonged activities along the value chain. Cassava and its products are often consumed by people, animals (cows, goats, and sheep), or even birds and pests, all of which reduce both the quantity and quality of the products. The rate at which raw cassava is transformed into other products will limit the contact time with these organisms and other factors like the environment and climate minimizing the biological, chemical, and physical hazards that would compromise safety and quality of the product.

Processing not only decreases the bulkiness of the cassava but also increases its shelf life, lowers storage and transportation costs increasing the profit margin from each product. This approach was successfully demonstrated by the CAVAGRO project in the GROW initiative which is aimed at skilling women entrepreneurs in Cassava value addition and financial literacy in Yumbe & Koboko Refugee hosting districts. The project availed equipment such as grater machine, mill machine, solar drier, and oven at a local facility for the women groups to produce cassava flour within a single day. The technology used in the process was affordable, and required minimal expertise. This rapid transformation of raw cassava allowed for the production of safe, more appealing, and high-quality products which included flour, bread, mandazi, and bagiya.

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In conclusion, such a successful approach should be adopted by smallholder farmers, unions, and communities dealing in other crops for it has proven to be applicable and profitable. For the sustainability of such approaches, there is need for continuous technical support and monitoring of the entire value chain. The technologies should be upgraded often to improve the production process and there should be field visits to other successful groups and small-to-medium-scale factories to help broaden the horizons of these farmer groups, inspiring them to strive for greater success and revisit their long-term goals.

Written by Ssozi Joshua
Reviewed by Irimat Robert
Reviewed by Mwima Sandrah