Josiah

Post harvest handling of African leafy vegetables by value addition in order to economically empower women in Western Kenya. Introduction: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the only major region in the world where poverty is increasing rather than decreasing and where human development indicators are worsening. A major cause of this negative development in SSA is the ongoing crisis in agriculture. Arable land, the natural resource base on which Agriculture-the mainstay for most SSA countries- greatly depends, is increasingly becoming degraded through deforestation, soil fertility depletion, soil erosion and water scarcity (Sanchez et al., 1997; Woomer, et al., 1997). The number of poor people will have risen from around 90 million in 1999 to 404 million by 2015 (Economic Commission for Africa, 2005). Micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A and iron, are major impediments to social and economic development, and impair learning ability, growth, productivity and development (WHO, 2002). Malnutrition, especially in children is a significant problem in developing countries and notably in Africa. Of the 12 million deaths of children under the age of five that occurs annually, 555 of them are due to malnutrition (Bekele, 1998) An additional 146 million children who are underweight are at high risk of dying from malnutrition because mortality rate increases exponentially with declining weight (UNICEF, 2006). Malnutrition is rampant in the tropics where per capita vegetable supplies in most countries fall far short of the minimum recommended 73 kg/person/year. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), per capita vegetable supplies are only 43% of required, leading to widespread malnutrition. In Kenya and Tanzania, 40%-45% of pregnant and nursing women suffer from anemia while 25%-30% of children under five are stunted and highly susceptible to infectious diseases. Micronutrient deficiency is a major cause of morbidity, disease and mortality among resource-poor women and children (WHO, 2000). African indigenous vegetables (AIV's), particularly our targets: African nightshades, Amaranths and spiderplant contain vitamins, micronutrients, antioxidants (Keding et al., 2009), anticancer and other health-promoting phytochemicals with antibiotic, probiotic and prebiotic properties (Park et al., 2002; Erasto et al., 2004; Van den Berghe et al., 1991; Veluri et al., 2004; AVRDC, 2004). Thus, they offer excellent health benefits to consumers and are a cheap, practical and sustainable intervention tool to address malnutrition-related problems especially in women and children. The vegetables play an important role in crop and nutrition diversity, food security of populations in both rural and urban settings, have high market potential and can help in poverty alleviation (Gockowski et al., 2003; Weinberger and Msuya, 2000; FAO, 2003). However,despite of these numerous advantages, these plants are under threat from neglect by development agencies, government-sectors, agriculture and conservation groups and lack of interest by stakeholders. AIVs are often cultivated in small patches in home gardens, fitting well in resource-poor farmers’ agricultural systems. The perception of AIVs as low-status foods has hampered their utilization which can be addressed by awareness creation supported by well coordinated scientific research and development. Problem statement and justification Indigenous African vegetables are the major source of micronutrient to Africans at large. They also help in combating nutritional related disorders. During rainy seasons, these vegetables are readily available but scarce during dry conditions. Due to surplus of indigenous vegetables during rainy seasons and shortage during dry period there is need for preservation of the surplus for better use during the periods when they are insufficient and therefore need for preservations and processing of the indigenous vegetables.Achieving production efficiency and increased availability of AIVs for improved income opportunities of farmers and better consumer acceptance revolves around clear challenges. There is a steady increase in demand which outstrips supply. This is due to increasing awareness of nutritional and nutriceautical properties that should be supported by scientific data. Challenges include limited farmer knowledge, lack of market availability and low consumer knowledge of AIV nutrient content leading to low consumption of these highly nutritious AIVs, limited farmer knowledge of sustainable production practices, low access to production inputs, little knowledge of appropriate post harvest handling and limited knowledge of market dynamics. There is a need to give continuous priority to research geared towards the enhancement of AIV productivity, marketability and utilization given their nutritional and nutraceutical values and potential to improve the health and livelihoods of smallholder farmers, the majority of whom are women. Women who boil them for long periods leading to effects on heat labile nutrients especially vitamin A labile (Imungi and Potter; 1983), is of concern to scientists and nutritionists Value addition through product development will help address the issue of perishability and fluctuating supply of the vegetables on the market. In the long run this will help alleviate barriers to food and nutrition security and income generation. (Shiundu &Oniang’o, 2007). Research hypothesis Post harvest handling of African leafy vegetables and value addition will be economically and nutritionally empowering to women and children of western Kenya respectively. General Objective Post harvest handling of African leafy vegetables and value addition will be economically and nutritionally empowering to women and children of western Kenya respectively. Specific Objectives 1. To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of households who produce and consume AIVs. 2. To determine food security, livelihood and nutritional status of the smallholder households who produce AIVs. 3. To assess the various processing techniques of African leafy vegetables used by farmers in the in the study sites. 4. To develop value added protocols of AIVs and test their culinary characteristics and nutritional value. 5. To promote the developed protocols among a vulnerable group of children.ie those suffering from micronutrient deficiencies. 6. To develop and disseminate sustainable and safe practices of post harvest handling of ALVs to enable households AIV security during scarcity. Methodology Collaboration ALVs are in wide use in western Kenya: their uses are well known and as a research crop, there will be no need to either popularize them or make the farmers aware of their uses. This research is envisaged to develop and disseminate sustainable and safe practices of post harvest handling of AIVs to improve on household’s food and livelihood security during scarcity.This will be an active stakeholder participation project with Moi University, Ministry of Agriculture, extension officers in the communities where the project will be carried out, the provincial administration in both areas including local area chiefs a well as village elders and the farmers as the main actors. Community based organizations and self help groups of women, will be involved as much as possible. Site selection and farms on which the experiments will be carried out will be selected through the active participation of all the actors. The ministry of agriculture will contribute to the study by co-supervising the students and managing the field work that will be carried out in the fields. Moi University will also co-supervise the students. They will further provide capacity by offering some classes in horticulture production and processing and nutrient analysis. Dr.Violet Mugalavai, Moi University will help in proximate analysis. The MoA extension staff will be very vital for initial mobilization of farmers and ensure the continuation of outreach and the dissemination of research findings after the project comes to an end. Baseline Survey. In Kenya, a baseline survey will be conducted in 26 Family Preservation Initiative (FPI) sites which encompass 11,000 farm households through a random sample of farm households interested or are producing AIVs. The baseline survey will include questions pertaining to basic biodata, current knowledge of production practices of AIVs, post-harvest handling, household consumption of AIVs, market accessibility, and perception of diversification within and beyond AIV production. The survey will target and integrate different family structures such as female and child headed, male headed and female managed to assess gender factors affecting the production, processing, and marketing of AIVs. Nutritional status will be determined by anthropometric measures and biochemical tests for Fe, Vit A and Vit C of a chosen vulnerable group (infants 0-4 months, and their lactating mums and check them through the weaning period up to 2 ½ year ) at the baseline, midterm and near end of project. Experimental setup and management The experiments will be carried out by collaborators and two MSc. students working on the same set of treatments in 3 sites in western Kenya; Bondo,Siaya and Busia counties However, one student will work with the farmers on post harvest handling of ALVs`and the other student will work on value addition of AIV products The envisaged experiments will be in two phases, viz; Value addition of amaranth product and postharvest handling of ALVs Field experiments These experiments are expected to begin in August 2012 and depending on the preliminary results they will continue through to 2013.Farmers to participate in the research will be selected by the help of County Agricultural Officers and local leaders. Plots measuring 10m by 10m will be established in the sites where the research will be commonly cultivated with the AIVs (amaranth, (Solanum scabrum), spiderplant (Cleome gynandra), and African nightshade(Amaranthus hybridus),) in western Kenya. At each farm, plots will be located by randomly selecting 3 for each of the vegetables. The plots will be ploughed to fine tilth and a blanket application of P at 26 kg P ha-1 and a blanket K application at 50 kg K ha-1.Direct seeding will be done by drilling in rows 30cm apart and thinned in intra row of 30cm two weeks after germination. Other agronomic practices will be done in the farm and harvesting of the seeds will be done and processed to 10% moisture content by direct sun drying (Abukutsa-Onyango et al, 2005). Effects of different processing methods on the leaves nutrient content Harvesting by uprooting of the various AIVs was done at four weeks after seedling. The vegetables will be blanched (Abukutsa-Onyango, 2005) and exposed to different heat treatment. Proximate analysis of protein and calcium will be done using UV-VIS spectrophotometer and Flame photometer respectively. The amount of protein will be calculated using the formulae below (Association of analytical Chemists) Amount of Nitrogen=c/w*0.05 and that of protein= Nitrogen amount multiplied by 6.25 Where c is the concentration in ppm, w is the weight of the sample used,* is a multiplication sign, 0.05 and 6.25 are constants as per AOAC. The concentration of calcium Sample expressed in % is calculated as follows; Ca (%) = (A - B) * V *F *100 1000*W*1000 Where A = Concentration of calcium in the digest B = Concentration of the blank digest W = the weight of the sample V = Volume of the digest solution F = Dilution factor Using amaranth grain in product development of local foods Dry cleaning (winnowing) and sieving of dried amaranth seeds will be done to remove chaff. Grinding will then be done in the posh mills to produce amaranth flour of course texture similar to cornmeal, which will be used to make developed amaranth products(Ugali,porridge,Chapati).CRSP(2006) revealed that hammer mills could be used to produce flour of appropriate texture but due to unavailability, the locally available posh mills will be used. Various ratios of amaranth flour will be used. Sensory evaluation and proximate analysis of protein and calcium will be done on the developed products Establishment of existing post harvest handling and processing techniques of ALVs A survey will be conducted between January 2012 and July 2012 in three counties of two Provinces of the study of western Kenya (Busia,Siaya and Bondo counties) From these counties, households will be purposively sampled on the basis of their growing African Leafy Vegetables. A structured questionnaire will developed and administered to 90 households in the three counties with each county having 30 households selected. The total households in the three counties are 170,000 and, 90,000 in the entire western and Nyanza Provinces of western Kenya respectively. Focus group discussions (FGD) will also be done on ALV farmers and traders. Each FGD will consist of 7-9 participants for about one and half hours. Those involved in the FGD will be those in knowledge in ALV production, marketing and utilization and will be selected using District Agricultural Leaders and local leaders. Important information of FGD will be noted down Establishment of seed support system The remaining seeds of ALV will be bulked and packaged farmer friendly quantities of 10g, 20g, and 50g plastic bags and availed at county agricultural office/women group offices.Besides, distribution of 50g seeds at the ratio of 2 species per farmer will be done on selected farmers in Busia, Bondo and Siaya counties. This will ensure local availability of quality seeds and follow up will be done to see if the contacted farmers have succeeded in producing the seeds as advised. Expected output and outcomes This project is envisaged to decrease post harvest losses and increase production by establishment of seed support system of ALVs in the western Kenya where postharvest handling techniques are weakly invested and lack of seeds is evident therefore increasing income generation from the surplus vegetables obtained by the communities residing in the study sites. An economic analysis of the developed amaranth product in the study sites will be carried out to assess the gains made through use of amaranth grain. We expect to explore the possibility of commercializing the amaranth product that will be found to be performing well. Enhanced collaboration between the participating stakeholders will contribute significantly to increase acreage of land under ALVs cultivation. The amaranth product potential will be established and in this way its contribution to well being of women empowerment be determined. There will be strengthened collaboration between Moi University and the Ministry of Agriculture as this project will not only be collaborative research partners but will also enhance capacity in Moi University by providing resource people to teach horticulture production and nutrient analysis in the department of food Science. The graduate students working on this project will be better exposed as they will have an opportunity to work in Kenya. We expect that they complete their studies within two years. By involving CBO’s and self help groups, this project aims at complete participation from the community, thus contributing to speedy adoption of postharvest technologies of handling vegetables, utilization of amaranth grain at home in various foods and thus help in alleviating protein malnutrition. In this project, we anticipate shifting away from the use of exotic vegetables and concentrating on ALVs for health and wealth creation in our food system as is being encouraged by the Ministries of health, agriculture and N.G.Os. Dissemination and communication The result of the study will be disseminated through:- 1. Preparation and issuance of brochures to organizations and individuals. 2. Organizing field day demonstrations that would include all stakeholders and involve other projects being carried out in the sites of study. 3. Publications of results in refereed journals and in conference proceedings. Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring and evaluation will be done by the P.I, research collaborators and students by reports, meetings and financial status of the project. We will also encourage RUFORUM monitoring and evaluation team to visit the university and field experiments whenever they find it necessary to encourage exchange of ideas and on the spot evaluation. Progress reports on a quarterly time frame will be submitted throughout the experimental period. Documentation through photographs and reports from farmer and extension officers’ feedbacks will be done via brochures and posters and distributed to all participating stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels. Results obtained will also be communicated back to the farmers ACTIVITIES AND WORKPLAN Month | ACTIVITY | BY WHOM | August 2012 | Stakeholders meeting to plan activities. Visit the four sites, meet with the provincial administration, extension officers and farmers and create awareness on the envisaged research study. Site identification.. | P.I., students, farmers, collaborators. | September 2012 | Clearing of land and setting up of field plots. | P.I., students, farmers, collaborators | October 2012 | Ploughing,primary and secondary cultivation. Miscellanous operations | Students, technicians | October 2012 | . Preparation to initiate field experiments: land preparation, weighing of the fertilizer/ inputs, and packaging. | P.I., students, farmers, collaborators. | September 2012 | Onset of the 2012 short rains (SRs). Setting up of the field experiments and planting of the test crops (amaranth, spider plant and African nightshade). Germination counts and gapping. | P.I., students, farmers, collaborators | October-November 2012 | Thinning, 1st, 2nd weeding, undertaking agronomic practices(control of pests and diseases) | Students, farmers, technicians, collaborators. | December 2012 | At maturity vegetables will be harvested. Precooling and beginning of post harvest handling, analysis for N and Ca contents in the leaves. | Students, farmers, extension officers and lab technicians. | January-March 2013 | Harvesting of the vegetables grains. Assessment of the yields, and processing of the grains to 10% moisture content, packaging and storing. Beginning of product development using amaranth grain, sensory evaluation of the developed products as well as proximate analysis. Further product development on other products and evaluation | P.I., collaborators, students, lab technicians. | March –August 2013 | Land preparation for the long rains (LRs) in 2013, planting, gapping, weeding, thinning spraying for pests and diseases, planting, harvesting and yield and nutrient analysis of the leaves exposed to different heat treatment. Processing and packaging of seeds to establish seed system. Also field days to be organized at all the sites during the period of field experimentation. Brochures and Posters to be distributed during these field days. | P.I., collaborators, students, lab technicians, farmers, extension officers. | September-January 2013 | Distribution of seeds to farmer and establishment of seed support system at the ministry of agriculture offices | P.I., collaborators, students, lab technicians, extension officers. | February -May 2013 | Students complete their field work | P.I., collaborators, students. | May- 2013 | Final stakeholders meeting to discuss results, progress and continuation of activities through outreach. Extension brochures distributed. Attendance of conferences. Project ends, final report writing. | All stakeholders with emphasis on extension officers, farmers and supervisors from Moi University and TSBF, students | June-December 2013 | Students analyze data, write theses and submit for examination; and graduation. Publication of results in journals. | P.I., collaborators, students. | ITEM/ ACTIVITY | Year 1 | Year 2 | Total | A) Graduate Students | | | | 1) Tuition and registration fees | | | | 2) Stipend | | | | 3) Supervision | | | | 4) Thesis writing and publication | | | | 5) Book allowance | | | | 6) Medical allowance | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | B) Research costs (include travel and other related research costs) | | | | 1) Transport to field (Vehicle hire & Fuel) | | | | 2) Field Inputs (Fertilizers, Fungicides, Pesticides, sampling bags, etc) | | | | 3) Per Diem (Driver, students, technicians) | | | | 4) PI and Collaborators) | | | | 5) Hired Labour for field work | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | C) Equipment and supplies | | | | 1) Student laptops | | | | 2) Still Digital Camera for documentation | | | | 3) Laboratory supplies and analyses | | | | 4) | | | | 5) | | | | 6) | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | D) Travel and Conferences | | | | 1) Travel (Local and International costs for RUFORUM conferences) | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | E) Coordination | | | | 1) Collaborators | | | | 2) Coordination costs | | | | 3) Incentive for graduating students within 30 months | | | | 4) Contribution to national forums | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | 1. Stationary for PI and collaborators | | | | 2. Secretarial services | | | | SUB-TOTAL | | | | TOTAL | | | | ADMINSTRATIVE COSTS (Maximum 5%) | | | | GRAND TOTAL | | | | BUDGET US $ | Budget notes References Abukutsa-Onyango, M.O., Mwai, G.N. & Onyango, J.C.2005. Studies on horticultural practices of some African Indigenous Vegetables at Maseno University. In:Abukutsa-Onyango. M.O., A.N. Muriithi, K.Ngamau Chweya, J.A. & Eyzaguire, P.B. 1999. The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. Maundu, P.M. (1997). The status of traditional vegetable utilization in Kenya. In: Proceedings of the IPGRI International workshop on genetic Resources of Traditional Vegetables in Africa, Conservation and Use. ICRAF-HQ, Nairobi: IPGRI. Mwai GN, Onyango JC and MO Abukutsa-Onyango Potential salinity resistance in spiderplant (Cleome gynandra L.). African Journal of Food,Aagriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND) 2005 .Online journal.www.ajfand.net 4:2. Fuilton,J (2006).Trip Report:Niger and Nigeria,Bean Cowpea CRSP,Purdue University,July 2006. Schippers, R.R. 2000. African indigenous vegetables an overview of the cultivated species. Chatham, UK.Natural Resources Institute /ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and rural Cooperation Shiundu, K.M.; Oniang’o, R.(2007). Marketing African leafy vegetables, challenges and opportunities in the Kenyan context. African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development 17: 4-12. Woomer, P. L., J. R. Okalebo and P. A. Sanchez, (1997). Phosphorus replenishment in western Kenya form field experiment to an operational strategy. Afr. Crop. Sci. Conf Proc., 3:559-570. Imungi, J.K and Potter, N.N. 1983. Nutrition content of raw and cooked cowpea leaves J. Ed. Sci 48: 1252-1254.