The Analysis of value chain to reduce post- harvest losses among smallholder mango farmers in Kitui Kenya

Abstract

Owing to high perishability, primary fruit producers face pressure to sell as soon as the fruits are in season.   In Kenya, the sales are facilitated by traders who buy at farm gate. However, the traders offer low prices  compared to their profit margin. Furthermore, farmers suffer post - harvest losses of unsold fruits. A study involving analysis of the mango value chain will be conducted in Kitui county Kenya. It will aim at reducing post-harvest losses through value addition activities. This will be achieved by determining the factors leading to a market outlet by smallholder mango farmers in Kitui county, examining actors activities along the mango value chain that improve marketing of mango fruits in Kitui county, determining factors leading to post-harvest losses and analysing value additon activities on incomes among smallholder mango farmers in Kitui county. A quantitative research design will be used to collect primary data. A pre-tested structured questionnaire will be administered by well trained enumerators who will interview smallholder mango farmers, mango traders, vendors, hawkers, consumers and one mango processing firm in Kitui county.  In the county, Kitui central and Mwingi central will be the two sub counties purposively selected. A simple random sample of 215 mango farmers will be drawn from the two sub counties. 44 traders, 55 vendors, 55 hawkers and 55 consumers will also be  randomly selected in the two sub counties.  A visit to a processing firm within the county will also be made. Multinomial logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and dynamic treatment models will be used to achieve the objectives.  Data will be entered in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme, STATA and Excel  computer programmes. The same programmes will be used to analyse the data.