Annex 5b: Constraints of the PH system - Hypotheses from key informant interviews; Survey findings

Post-harvest system		Constraints in the potato and sweet potato PH systems?	Comment on study findings
Operations	Actors
Harvesting	farmer, men/women	- high production losses - labour shortage	not an issue in visited places
Grading/sorting	farmer (m/w), middleman, processing level (medium/big size)	- lack of standards for grading	grading is done when required by traders
Storage	farmer, retailer, processor	- on-farm storage facilities inadequate	in small farms potatoes were stored in the house, which probably is not the best solution.
Packaging	farmer, middlemen, processors	- materials	when bags are extended, the size of the extension is difficult to control.
Transportation	Farmer, middleman, lorry owner	- infrastructure (roads, electricity, phone), - transport facilities (lorries, costs), bulkiness	- poor feeder roads indeed are a problem during the rainy season. However before building roads a proper cost benefit analysis should be conducted - transportation is not a problem
Marketing	farmer, middleman, retailer, wholesaler, city council (tax)	- pricing policy (cartels), - lack of information on market prices,- perishability of product, - quantities available	according to the farmers, traders sometimes conspire, but there is no cartel. Potato farmers in general are aware of potato prices on the major markets, swp farmers only know prices at local markets. Swp farmers suspect that the margin of traders who sell their produce in Nairobi is very high
Processing: - village level - industrial	industrial processor, kiosks, restaurants, street vendors (m/w)	- costs of equipment, - availability of raw material (seasonality), - lack of viable village-level technologies	Potatoes: Chips production is very important in the rural areas and in the urban centre. Crisps may be considered as a niche market SWP: Processing to flour for home consumption and locally to venous products for sale. The women group mentioned lacking faculties for the preparation of their products as a constraint. However, the economic sustainability of this project is questionable because of a relatively short period of swp supply (3 months a year).
Preparation for consumption at household level (cooking)	women	- limited menus and possibilities for swp - lack of information on preparation (recipes)	Not indicated as a constraint in rural areas. A possible constraint to wider interest in urban areas.
Consumption	family, export to neighbouring countries and abroad	- differences in preferences among family members, - cultural beliefs	One swp farmer suggested educating people of the nutritional value of swp. At present swp is not considered a full staple food. A change in preferences could stimulate swp demand and then swp production.