Effects of using post-harvest management technologies on household food security in Dodoma region, Tanzania
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Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Quarterly Social Science Review
Abstract
In Dodoma Region, Tanzania, the adoption of grain post-harvest management technologies remains low despite their importance
for food security. This study, conducted in Kongwa and Chemba Districts between December 2022 and March 2023, analyses
effects of using grain post-harvest management technologies and household food security. The specific objectives were to
determine household food security status, analyse postharvest management technologies used for maize and sorghum, compare
household food security status based on grain post-harvest management technologies used, and determine effects of grain post-
harvest technologies and other factors on chances of being food secure. Data were collected from 384 households using a
questionnaire, a key informant interview guide, and a guide for focus group discussions. They analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics
software to compute descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that 52.1% of households were food insecure based on
grain consumption, and 43.5% were food insecure based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Use of
improved post-harvest technologies varied across activities, but no significant food security differences were found between users
and non-users of improved postharvest technologies. However, food security was significantly different between households
whose heads had different levels of education, between households which had different farm sizes, and between smaller and larger
households. Binary logistic regression results showed mixed results that household size had significant negative effect on the
chances of being food secure, based on amounts of grains consumed but that it had insignificant positive effect on the chances of
being food secure, based on HFIAS. Tractor use and group membership had positive significant positive effects on the chances of
being food secure, based on amounts of grains consumed. Processing grains and years of schooling had significant positive effects
on the chances of being food secure, based on HFIAS. It is concluded that working on the variables that had significant negative
effects on the chances of being food secure—household size, age of household head, and land ownership could help increase
chances of smallholder farmers being food secure. Such chances could also be increased by keeping up the variables that had
significant positive effects on the chances of being food secure—tractor use, being members of farmer groups, improved grain
processing means, and education (formal and non-formal). It is recommended to Kongwa and Chemba Districts to promote the
use of postharvest technologies analysed and others that are relevant so that more farmers can use them, thereby improving food
security. Farming households should join farmer groups, and the agricultural extension service should increase provision of
education to farmers on why and how to use the technologies and collaborate with suppliers of the technologies so that they could
supply them at more reasonable prices.
Description
African Quarterly Social Science Review, pp. 437-450
Keywords
Grains, Household Food Security, HFIAS, Post-Harvest Management Technologies
Citation
https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.2.38