Factors Affecting the Uptake of Postharvest Technology by Tomato Farmers in Umguza, Tsholotsho and Lupane Districts in Matabeland North Region

Abstract

Tomato production plays a pivotal role in generation of household food security and nutrition hence improving livelihoods in Zimbabwe’s communal areas. Despite this, tomato farmers incur huge postharvest loses leading to huge amount in reductions of profits, food quality and market penetration strategies. There is also minimal evidence on the factors affecting adoption of postharvest practices in Matabeleland region. This study therefore examined factors affecting the embracement of postharvest technology like socio-economic, institutional and cultural. The study used analytic cross sectional survey data with a sample size of eighty-six participants from three districts of Matabeleland North province which are Umguza, Lupane and Tsholotsho. The institutional factors that were affecting the adoption of postharvest technologies and practices included access to credit, training program and group membership. After analysis using the double hurdle regression model the results revealed that some variables were significant in factors affecting the uptake of postharvest technology and these were age of the farmer, group membership, number of income sources, access to radio, participation of farmers and gender of the household. There was minimal access to credit and participation in training programs among tomato farmers in the study area hence the hardship to adopt postharvest technology. The major cause of tomato loses when they are still in the field were pests and diseases that was due to high costs of chemicals that are out of reach for many tomato farmers. The study recommends training and sensitisation programs on the importance of postharvest technology to be carried out amongst farmers. The extension officers should be trained and taught about postharvest technology so as to share information with the farmers. The training should not be left to associations and non-governmental organisations only but the government has to also take a lead in implementing these programs. Also, to address this challenge agribusiness companies should assist in designing postharvest technologies that mirror adoption patterns of smallholder farmers as they constitute the bulk of rural farmers.