5. margaideachd

It is established that good market access is a driver of a sustainable potato production. To have a permanent market for a continuous potato supply, linking farmers to traders, big supermarkets, hotels, and processors is imperative. We witnessed that effective market linkage of the Kabale (Uganda) Nyabyumba United Farmers Group (initiated and implemented by CIP, when it was successful others such as Africare joined) that produces potato for a fast-food restaurant in Kampala Nandos that specialized in French fries resulted in a sustainable potato production and farmers as well as the restaurant greatly benefited. Similarly connecting farmers in Bomet (Kenya) to a processor called Tropical Heat (also called DEEPA Industries) that exports processed potatoes to UK in 2010 helped farmers to get a permanent market for their potato, encouraging them to produce high quality ware potatoes and increase their income. The company also benefited by reducing losses and improving the quality of their products (crisps) and hence profit. Prompted by the success of this company, several others started engaging farmers in contract farming to produce potatoes for them. Such contractual agreements assist farmers to have the much-needed cash for purchasing fertilizers and other inputs to increase potato productivity. However, the one big challenge faced in contractual agreements was failure in honoring the agreements by farmers and processors alike. Farmers were tempted to sell their potato to others when they got higher prices than stated in the agreement. Processors, sometimes rejected potatoes supplied by the farmers on pretext of the produce not meeting the quality standard. To overcome such problems, regular discussions between farmers and processors and revising the contractual agreement every three months to update the price was found useful. The processor was paying 5% more than the prevailing price at the time of signing the agreements.

Tha margaidh às-mhalairt, gu h-àraidh airson buntàta giullaichte, a’ sìor fhàs gu luath. An-dràsta, tha barrachd buntàta air am giullachd mar fhreagairt do iarrtasan a tha a’ sìor fhàs bho ghnìomhachasan bìdh luath is bìdh goireasach a thàinig bho sluagh bailteil a bha a’ sìor fhàs, iomadachadh daithead agus dòighean-beatha nach eil a’ fàgail ùine gu leòr airson biadh ùr ullachadh airson a chaitheamh. Mheudaich an gluasad seo an t-iarrtas airson toraidhean giullaichte, gu h-àraidh toraidhean buntàta reòta agus dì-uisgeaichte, às nach eil dùthchannan fo leasachadh air an cuid chothromach fhaighinn, gu h-àraidh ann am margaidh às-mhalairt. Tha e gu math duilich toraidhean buntàta ùra is giullaichte às-mhalairt gu dùthchannan leasaichte bho Shìona Shìona air sgàth inbhean agus taraifean àrda mì-chothromach a chaidh a chur an gnìomh. Ach, tha àite ann airson in-mhalairt mhòr de thoraidhean buntàta giullaichte a chur an àite le dùthchannan fo leasachadh agus cothrom airson às-mhalairt gu dùthchannan faisg air làimh ann an Afraga agus an Ear Mheadhanach. Chan eil às-mhalairt buntàta ùra is giullaichte eadar dùthchannan faisg air làimh ann an Afraga air a chlàradh gu math leis gu bheil na crìochan porous agus gu bheil iomlaidean a’ tachairt gu neo-oifigeil. Gus fìor chuibhreannan buntàta do eaconamaidh dùthcha a dhearbhadh, feumar às-mhalairt eadar dùthchannan faisg air làimh a dhèanamh nas sìmplidhe. Lùghdaichidh seo cuideachd gluasadan neo-riaghlaichte buntàta a tha a’ giùlan cunnart mòr bho sgaoileadh ghalaran.

Airson margaidheachd soirbheachail, tha solar cunbhalach de thoradh càileachdail, ionad cruinneachaidh, eagrachadh thuathanaich ann am buidhnean gus cinneasachadh agus margaidheachd còmhla, togail comas èifeachdach agus earbsa a chruthachadh am measg nam buill deatamach. Ged a tha fearann ​​beag is sgapte aig tuathanaich bheaga, faodar fearann ​​a dhaingneachadh, mar a chaidh a dhèanamh gu soirbheachail ann an Ruanda. Leigidh cinneasachadh daingnichte le meacanaigeadh agus smachd èifeachdach air plàighean is galairean, a’ leasachadh ruigsinneachd gu creideas agus a’ comasachadh margaidheachd èifeachdach. Tha Etiòpia a’ cur gnìomh gnìomh coltach ris leis an dòigh-obrach aice, Cnuasaichean Malairteach Àiteachais (ACC), a bhios cuideachd a’ daingneachadh cinneasachadh agus a’ brosnachadh margaidheachd còmhla. Is e seo aon dòigh cinnteach air tuathanachas luchd-gabhail bheaga a thionndadh gu tuathanachas malairteach.

Tuathanas Kisima produces about 4000 MT of potatoes of which 75% is in acceptable seed-size category. Most of its seed is sold to smallholder farmers within a radius of 30 kilometers from the farm. However, since farmers know about the importance of quality seed in increasing productivity, farmers from distant areas organize themselves into groups and buy certified seed in bulk to reduce per unit costs. According to an old success story (no date) that referred to a SFSA and CIP study, “the farm sold certified seed at 47 US Cents per kilogram compared to 24 US Cents/kg and 22US Cents/kg for seed potato from neighbors and open market sources, respectively.” The 400 smallholders who bought seed from Kisima and an estimated another 12,000 farmers who got seed from the 400, earned 480 million Kenyan shillings at the end of 2013. Because the advantages of certified seed, farmers go for it, despite the high seed cost and hence the demand for certified seed grows by the day