The document summarizes interventions by the Grain Postharvest Loss Prevention Project in Tanzania to reduce postharvest losses of grains and improve food security. It discusses: 1) Training over 25,000 farmers on postharvest management practices and over 7,800 farmers adopting improved storage technologies like hermetic bags and metal silos. 2) Factors influencing adoption of practices and technologies, like farm size and income level. 3) Most postharvest tasks like drying and cleaning are joint or female responsibilities, while men make more decisions, especially regarding pesticide use and technology selection. 4) Lessons learned - adoption depends on social factors beyond economics; awareness campaigns must target both genders; and a market

1. Socio - cultural aspects of accessing and acceptance of
postharvest practices and technologies
Rakesh Munankami
Project Advisor
Grain Postharvest Loss
Prevention (GPLP) Project
HELVETAS
28/11/2017

2. Outline of Presentation
1. Background
2. Interventions on PHM
3. Adoption of PHM
4. Decision making / work in PHM
5. Lesson learned

3. Grain Postharvest Loss (PHL)
• Postharvest loss of grain ranges from
15 - 40% depending on crop,
seasonality and geographical location
• GPLP project aims to reduce
postharvest losses in food grains in
the Central Corridor of Tanzania
thereby improve food security and
incomes of targeted farming
households.
• Applies Market System Development
(MSD) approach

4. Interventions on PHM
A. Demand creation
➢ Awareness raisings and promotion of PHM
(PHL, PHP, PHT)
➢ Training extension officers and farmers on
on PHM
➢ Demonstrations of PHT
B. Strengthen Supply
➢ Develop capacity of local artisans to
produce and market metal silos
➢ Strengthen capacity of agro-dealers
➢ Linking PHT producers with agro-dealers
and their supply network
➢ Linkage with finance

5. Improved Postharvest Practices (PHP)

6. Improved Postharvest Technologies

7. -
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Farmers trained
on PHM
Farmers adopted
improved PH
practices
Farmers improved
traditional storage
technologies
Farmers adopted
hermetic bags
Farmers adopted
silo
Adoption of PHP and PHT
Training and Adoption of PHM
27,385
25,803
19,817
7,868
2,073

8. Adoption of PHT
A. Adoption of hermetic bags
➢ 39,340 hermetic bags bought by
7,868 HH
(3,934 MT of grains safely stored at
HH level)
Adoption of hermetic bags is linked
with …
▪ Number of bags harvested
▪ Surplus / deficit of production
▪ Decision maker about PHT

9. Adoption of PHT
B. Adoption of metal silo
➢ 2,073 HH adopted metal silo
(1,036 MT of grains safely stored at
HH level)
Adoption of metal silo is linked with
▪ Number of bags harvested
▪ Surplus / deficit of production
▪ Membership in informal saving group
(VICOBA)
▪ Household’s income

10. Decision making in PHM
Postharvest
steps
Who decides ?
(1, 2, 3 in
ranking)
Who does the
works ?
Harvesting 1. Men
2. Both
3. Women
1. Both
2. Men
3. Women
Transport 1. Men
2. Both
3. Women
1. Both
2. Men
3. Women
Drying 1. Both
2. Men
3. Women
1. Both
2. Women
3. Men
Cleaning /
Winnowing
1. Both
2. Women
3. Men
1. Women
2. Both
3. Men

11. Decision making in PHM
• Cleaning / winnowing are mostly done by
women
• Use of storage pesticides - by men
• Most of the decisions and work are done jointly
by both – men and women
• When decisions are not made by both – men
makes more decisions than women alone
Postharvest
steps
Who
decides ?
(1, 2, 3 in
ranking)
Who does
the works ?
Mixing storage
pesticides
1. Men
2. Both
3. Women
1. Men
2. Both
3. Women
Selection of
storage
technologies
1. Both
2. Men
3. Women

12. Lessons Learned
1. Adoption of postharvest practices and
technologies depends on several factors – not
only economic or cost factors
2. Awareness campaign and promotion - use of
local drama, theater groups and targeting both
men and women - is important to increase the
demand
3. Options for different types of storage
technologies should be provided so that farmers
can choose the best for them
4. Market system development approach and
partnership with the private sector is crucial to
ensure there is no market distortion and
sustainability

13. Thank you for your Attention