Browsing by Author "Rahko, Juhani"

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are an important crop for the food security of developing countries, and farmed area of potatoes in those countries is expanding constantly. It would be important to solve the problems of potato production and distribution in Tanzania. The research problem of this thesis was to examine the value chain of potatoes in Tanzania and factors that prevent the industry’s development. Furthermore, the aim was to evaluate agricultural policies affecting potato value chain and illustrate the present state of potato production and marketing chain in contrast to other crops. The research was conducted by executing 14 semi-structured expert interviews in Tanzania in June 2011. In addition to this, two researchers answered in written form. The interviewees were researchers, agricultural extension officers, managers of nongovernmental organisations, dealers of agricultural market place, a agricultural project coordinator, and officials from the ministry of agriculture as well as from the ministry of trade and marketing. Theoretical framework in this thesis is based on structure-conduct-performance (SCP)-paradigm. Moreover, the basic conditions and public policy of the industry are to be found out. The results indicate that the government does not affect much to the operation nor the development of the potato value chain: potato is not the government priority in Tanzania. On the other hand, there are no straight policy measures or institutional barriers that are hindering the conditions of smallholders or other actors in the chain, either. Bad seed quality is most likely the biggest challenge on the production part. Difficulties to get loans and the lack of investments and farmers’ groups are hindering the production. The biggest infrastructural issue is poor road network in the countryside. As a suggestion based on the results is that two instances should be created: a national potato board and marketing centres in the villages. The prerequisite for those instances to be possible to establish and function well is the activity of the government. Especially to operate the market centers properly, it is important that the village leaders and farmers would be committed to its activities.