Effect of post-harvest handling on profitability of vanilla in Kangulumira Sub-County, Kayunga District, Uganda

Abstract

Vanilla is a fruit orchid feasibly grown in Madagascar, Uganda and other countries. It bears great market potentials for profitability and with a price compared to that of silver on the world market. However, such prospects only hold true for quality production and processing thus aroused the need to carry out study on the status of postharvest handling on vanilla and how it has affected the profitability of farmers. The study was conducted in Kangulumira sub county, Kayunga district Uganda, East of Kampala aiming at identifying the nature of the relationship between post-harvest handling and profitability, finding out the challenges faced by farmers and processors during postharvest handling and the would be possible solutions to the challenges faced during postharvest in the study area. The study drew from both qualitative and quantitative approaches using both primary and secondary data. The first objective was met by running a correlation and a regression with the outcome justifying further investigation using the second and third objectives. The significantly strong correlation coefficient of 0.997054 served to confirm the alternative hypothesis. The sample size selected was 77 out of a study frame of 88 with the response rate at 92%. Key informants like UEPB conformed that indeed vanilla market prospects had risen from US$20-40 per kg in 2015 to US$500-600 per kg in 2018 and have remained feasible since then. Post-harvest losses are estimated at 6.3% per kg for the majority of farmers. Only 31.6% of farmers were found to operate with cognizance of minimizing or completely eradicating post-harvest losses. Farmers venturing into post-harvest handling still depend on the sun for drying and humidity control despite the emergence of more scientific and appropriate technology from countries like India and China. This means that vanilla is subjected to value capture complications due to the low level of technologyutilized. The operating environment reveals that the agricultural sector plans of Uganda have not prioritized vanilla for special intervention. However, actors like CRS, UEPB, UVPEA, UVAN Ltd and others including SMEs are working with groups of smallhol ders organized into producer associations for production. The study found out that level of farmer organization was found inadequate to cause sector advancements. Efficiency of postharvest handling is low among farmers whereby only a few are engaged in pr imary postharvest handling, only one percent of the interviewed farmers were involved in curing too, most farmers carry out no or poor postharvest handling practices due to ignorance lack of skills, insecurity to mention but a few and driven down by a cont inued heavy reliance on natural conditions. Farmer‟s market competences were found low with neglected supply chain development initiatives. Access to market information is low and policy and regulatory framework by government only qualifies as weak - paying inadequate attention to the vanilla sector. I therefore recommend an improvement in postharvest handling technology, with adoption of appropriate drying technology other than the sun, for example, vacuum driers. There is ardent need to increase production and productivity through a reorganization of factors of production i.e. land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship. This includes productivity enhancing technologies and agronomic practices, postharvest management and quality control knowledge, skills a nd practices. Other recommendations include: increasing farmer access to financing; improving access to markets; supporting value chain development; sustaining sector platforms able to cause continuous assessment and chain development; farmer mobilization, sensitization, organization and strengthening towards achievements like but not limited to lobbying government for favorable legal and regulatory frameworks. Implementation of recommendations is the onus of all sector stakeholders including but not limited to government; sector INGOs and NGOs; cooperative and development banks; and associations.