Jackline Bonabana-Wabbi

Consumer demand heterogeneity and valuation of value-added pulse products: a case of precooked beans in Uganda

BackgroundThis study investigated consumer demand heterogeneity and valuation of a processed bean product—“precooked beans” with substantially reduced cooking time. Common bean is the most important source of protein for low- and middle-income households in Uganda. Its consumption is, however, constrained by long cooking time, high cooking energy and water requirements. As consumption dynamics change due to a rapid expansion of urban populations, rising incomes and high costs of energy, demand for fast-cooking processed foods is rising. An affordable, on-the-shelf bean product that requires less time, fuel and water to cook is thus inevitable.MethodsA choice experiment was used to elicit consumer choices and willingness to pay for precooked beans. Data used were collected from 558 households from urban, peri-urban and rural parts of central Uganda and analyzed using a latent class model which is suitable when consumer preferences for product attributes are heterogeneous.ResultsStudy results revealed three homogeneous consumer segments with one accounting for 44.3% comprising precooked bean enthusiasts. Consumers derive high utility from a processed bean product with improved nutrition quality, reduced cooking time and hence save water and fuel. The demand for the processed bean is driven by cost saving and preference for convenience, which are reflected in willingness to pay a premium to consume it. Heterogeneity in attribute demand is explained by sex and education of the respondents, volumes of beans consumed, location and sufficiency in own bean supply.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that exploring avenues for nutritionally enhancing while optimizing processing protocols to make precooked beans affordable will increase consumer demand. These results have implications for market targeting, product design and pricing of precooked beans.

IPM Vegetable Systems in Uganda

Smallholder famers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been encouraged to produce horticultural crops as an agricultural and rural development strategy to enhance incomes and improve household nutrition. In Uganda, intensified production of marketed vegetable crops has led to changing agricultural practices, including crop and input-intensification, a changing set of pests, and increased use and reliance on synthetic pesticides to manage these pests. Beginning in 2002, the IPM CRSP team in Uganda implemented a participatory IPM program with smallholder farmers to develop and disseminate alternative pest management strategies for managing priority pests and reducing pesticide usage on tomato. The major pest constraints addressed were late blight, bacterial wilt, viruses, bollworm, aphids, thrips and white flies. Baseline farmer surveys indicated that farmers were spraying a variety of pesticides 12–24 times per growing season. The component technologies developed into a package and disseminated to farmers included a bacteria wilt resistant tomato variety MT56, mulching, staking, and a minimum spray schedule of 3–4 pesticide sprays per season. Impact assessments indicated that yields were 40 % higher when the package was used and reduced production costs (by reducing the number of sprays) that led to higher net revenues for IPM-practicing tomato farmers. Use of MT56 and mulching led to a 21 % reduction in production costs and led to an internal rate of return of 250 % if adopted. Use of tomato variety MT56 reduced production cost by 21 % with a Benefit: Cost ratio of 770. Other IPM technologies developed included grafting using bacterial wilt resistant rootstocks; seedling production using low tunnel systems for pest/vector exclusion; and good nursery management practices.