Prudence Lugendo: Empowering Farmers Through Innovation to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses in Tanzania

Kilimokwanza.org Team

At a recent Business-to-Business (B2B) meeting held in Iringa from August 21st to 23rd, 2024, agricultural stakeholders from across Tanzania gathered to discuss innovative solutions to the pressing issue of post-harvest losses. The meeting, part of the USAID-funded Feed the Future Tanzania Tuhifadhi Chakula (Let’s Save Food) project, was organized by the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT). It brought together key players in Tanzania’s agricultural sector, including smallholder farmers, agricultural processors, market leaders, and government representatives.

Mr. Prudence Lugendo, a Policy Specialist at SAGCOT Centre Ltd., emphasized the core mission of the Feed the Future Tanzania Tuhifadhi Chakula (Let’s Save Food) project: to significantly curtail the persistent loss of agricultural produce that hampers food security. This collaborative effort between the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and SAGCOT, generously funded by USAID, seeks to enhance food security, combat climate change’s impact on agriculture, and uplift the livelihoods of local communities by minimizing food waste.

Highlighting the Challenges of Post-Harvest Losses

In his address, Prudence Lugendo provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s efforts to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security across the country. He underscored the critical issue of post-harvest losses, which significantly affects Tanzanian farmers’ productivity and profitability. “After producing these crops, they often lack markets and end up spoiling, leading to significant losses,” Lugendo noted. He emphasized that post-harvest losses are a major barrier to achieving food security in Tanzania, as they undermine farmers’ efforts and reduce the amount of food available for consumption and sale.

Lugendo pointed out that these losses are not just due to a lack of markets but are also compounded by inadequate infrastructure and poor storage facilities. “There are legal and policy challenges that contribute to these losses,” he explained. “For example, the poor road conditions during the rainy season make it difficult for producers to access markets. If a road is impassable, the crops remain unsold and eventually spoil, which is a significant loss.”

Technological Solutions and Market Access

During his presentation, Lugendo stressed the importance of leveraging technology to tackle the challenges of post-harvest losses. “Access to technology, such as packaging materials and machinery, is crucial for minimizing crop loss,” he stated. He highlighted that using better packaging solutions, such as those provided by companies like JND Poly Bags, could play a significant role in reducing spoilage and ensuring that crops reach markets in good condition.

“One of the major areas we are focusing on is the availability of technologies that can address challenges,” Lugendo said. “These technologies include better packaging, improved machinery, and higher-quality seeds. We are working on making these available to farmers because they directly impact the reduction of post-harvest losses.”

He also underscored the importance of understanding market needs and aligning agricultural production with those needs. “You can produce a crop, but if the market doesn’t need it, or if it doesn’t meet quality standards, it will be rejected,” Lugendo pointed out. He stressed that improving market access and ensuring that produce meets market standards is vital for reducing waste and increasing farmers’ incomes.

Collaborative Approaches and Policy Advocacy

Lugendo also emphasized the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, including farmers, cooperatives, and private companies, to effectively address the issue of post-harvest losses. “We have heard here about the presence of AMCOS (Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies) and processing companies. It’s important to ask whether these entities are managing themselves well to reduce these challenges,” he said.

He called for greater collaboration and joint efforts to address common challenges, such as the lack of adequate storage facilities and poor infrastructure. “There are people who, upon seeing the packaging materials here, have said their problems are solved,” Lugendo remarked, illustrating the immediate impact of the discussions and the practical solutions being proposed at the meeting.

Furthermore, Lugendo highlighted the role of government and policy in reducing post-harvest losses. “There are also legal and policy challenges that contribute to food loss. For instance, during the rainy season, roads in Malinyi become impassable, making it impossible to transport food to Ifakara,” he explained. “This is a policy issue that requires the government to build storage facilities and improve roads, so that produce does not spoil and farmers do not incur losses.”

Lugendo outlined the four major areas that the Tuhifadhi Chakula project focuses on to address the issue of post-harvest losses:

1. Access to Technology: “One key area is access to technology that can help solve these challenges. This includes packaging, machinery, and better seeds,” Lugendo explained.
2. Market Access: “Another area is market access. You may produce a crop and find no market for it, or the market may reject your produce because it does not meet quality standards,” he said.
3. Policy and Legal Framework: “The third area involves policy and legal issues, such as road infrastructure and the need for government investment in storage facilities,” Lugendo continued.
4. Institutional Management: “The fourth area focuses on how our institutions, such as AMCOS and processing companies, manage themselves to ensure they reduce these challenges,” he concluded.

Building Partnerships and Future Directions

Lugendo stressed the importance of building partnerships to achieve the goals of the Tuhifadhi Chakula project. He noted that bringing together stakeholders, such as farmers, processors, and technology providers, is crucial for creating a comprehensive approach to reducing post-harvest losses.

“This meeting is just the first step in bringing you all together to recognize each other and start working on these challenges,” he said. “We are also planning more activities to ensure we work together in implementing the project.”

He also mentioned the project’s focus on different crop types. “The project has two main components: one for cereals and legumes, which SAGCOT is coordinating, and another for fruits and vegetables, which TAHA is handling,” Lugendo explained. This division allows for specialized attention to each crop category’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Through initiatives like these, Tanzania is well on its way to reducing post-harvest losses, improving food security, and enhancing the livelihoods of its farmers. As Lugendo aptly put it, “We can only achieve these goals by working together, leveraging technology, and ensuring that our policies and practices support farmers at every step of the value chain.the value chain.”