Department of Economics

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Browsing Department of Economics by Author "Chegere, Martin Julius"

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    Climate change and post-harvest agriculture
    (Routledge; RFF Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2018-03) Chegere, Martin Julius
    This chapter looks at the role of post-harvest losses (PHL) in adaptation to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 10%–20% of the total grain produced in that region is lost before the food reaches consumers. This loss is valued in billions of dollars a year and could meet the annual calorie needs of 48 million people. PHL also waste labor, land, water, fertilizer and energy, and generate unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, when resources are used to produce, process, and transport food that will not reach consumers. Losses occur during post-harvest activities, such as drying, storing, and transporting grain. PHL can be quantitative (e.g., bags of grain break and spill, or pests eat the grain) and qualitative (e.g., loss in nutritional value due to spoilage). A number of causes of PHL will be exacerbated by hotter average temperatures, greater rainfall variability, and more frequent extreme weather events. These factors are compounded by inadequate post-harvest handling practices and inadequate facilities and infrastructure. PHL can be reduced by investing in cold and dry storage, rural roads, rural and wholesale market facilities, and processing facilities. Training of farmers on proper practices and use of strategies such as hermetically sealed bags can reduce PHL.
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    Post-harvest losses reduction by small-scale maize farmers: The role of handling practices
    (Elsevier, 2018-05) Chegere, Martin Julius
    Concerns about food insecurity have grown in Sub-Saharan Africa due to rapidly growing population and food price volatility. Post-harvest Losses (PHL) reduction has been identified as a key component to complement efforts to address food security challenges and improve farm incomes, especially for the rural poor. This study analyses the role of recommended post-harvest handling practices in PHL reduction; and conducts a cost-benefit analysis of adopting practices associated with lower losses. The study finds that maize farmers lose about 11.7 percent of their harvest in the post-harvest system. About two-thirds of this loss occurs during storage. The study shows that adoption of recommended post-harvest handling practices is highly correlated with lower PHL. Lastly the study finds that the cost of implementing some of the recommended practices outweighs the benefits associated with lower PHL. It then discusses the reasons why some farmers may not adopt some of the practices and points out some contributions to the literature.
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    Poverty Effects of Fuel and Food Price Changes in Tanzania
    (Dar es Salaam University Press, 2013) Chegere, Martin Julius; Kidane, Asmerom; Leyaro, Vincent
    Among the recent major welfare shocks in Tanzania and globally is the 2007-2010 food and fuel prices surge. While sharp increases in food prices have the potential of increasing real production in agriculture, higher fuel prices increase production costs that affect all sectors in the economy negatively; and both negatively affect real consumption. The simulation analysis using the 2007 Tanzania Household Budget Survey shows that both the poverty incidence and the poverty gap increased following the increase in fuel and food prices. Agricultural, rural; and poor and middle income households are identified to have suffered more than the others. Policy implications on substitution for less costing and domestically available fuels, and the increase of food crops productivity are suggested.