Browsing by Author "Nalunga, A."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Gender Roles and Constraints in the Green Cooking Banana Value Chain: Evidence from Southwestern Uganda
    (ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1272, 2018) Ajambo, S.; Mbabazi, E.G.; Nalunga, A.; Kikulwe, E.M.
    This paper provides an overview of how women and men engage in the green cooking banana value chain (VC) and the specific constraints they face. Several recommendations for gender-responsive interventions are made. Results are based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in 2015 in southwestern Uganda in the districts of Rakai and Isingiro from actors along the VC via surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), seasonal calendars and daily activity schedules. Results show that the green cooking banana VC is dominated by men, with only 30% of the actors in the VC being women. Social norms and business entry requirements pose major constraints to women's participation in this VC. Men and women are involved in various roles along the VC, with some roles mostly performed by men and others by women. Production is majorly controlled by men, who own and oversee most of the plantation management and sales. A few women own plantations, and acreage is usually smaller (1.5 ha) than that of men's plantations (2.4 ha). Women dominate the retail node (70%) but are absent at the wholesale node. The retail node is characterized by the highest PHL (18.42%) and the lowest profit margins. Men retailers incur higher physical (8.45%) and residual (UGX 10.084.5) losses compared to women retailers (physical (7.35); residual (UGX 9.112.5)). Women mainly access credit from informal sources that do not require collateral such as farmers' groups. We recommend promoting evidence-based advocacy of women's rights to land, and developing strategies aimed at developing financial products, such as loans, that respond to the needs of women farmers. VC analyses should include gender roles to give due recognition to the contributions of men and women VC actors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Growth Characteristics and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Fed Earthworm Meal from Eudrilus Eugeniae as a Protein Source
    (Livestock Science, 2021) Nalunga, A.; Komakech, A.J.; Jjagwe, J.; Magala, H.; Lederer, J.
    The demand and cost of animal-based protein sources for broiler chickens production like fish meal has increased in many countries. An alternative protein source can be earthworm meal (EWM). A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing broiler chickens diets with EWM derived from dried Eudrilus eugeniae on growth performance, carcass attributes, and the meat quality of broiler chickens. The starter and finisher basal diets were formulated to contain 10% fish meal and it was replaced with 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7% EWM. For the experiment, 150 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to the 5 diets with 3 pens per diet and 10 broiler chickens per pen. Based on the data recorded in the experiment, the body weight gain (BWG), and the feed intake (FI) were computed. At 6 wk of age, 3 broiler chickens were randomly selected from each pen to assess their organ weights and sensory characteristics. Overall, there was a quadratic and cubic effect on BWG when EWM supplementation was increased (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the overall FI of broiler chickens with increase in the supplementation of EWM. As the dietary supplementation of EWM increased, the juiciness in breast meat of the broiler chickens increased quadratically (P < 0.05) while the flavor increased linearly (P < 0.05). However, there were no differences in broiler chickens meat aroma, first bite, chewiness, and the amount of residues as dietary EWM increased. Supplementation of EWM did not affect broiler chickens meat quality in terms of pH and drip loss. The EWM may be a suitable source of protein for broiler chickens production and a particularly useful substitute for fish meal. More research is required to determine the optimal inclusion rate for the most affordable, and nutritious broiler chickens diet, and to sufficiently understand the wider implications of alternative feed sources on the ecologic, economic, and environmental impact of broiler chickens production.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Stay Visual Inspection or Go Weighing? Insights from a Value Chain Analysis for Cooking Banana in Uganda
    (RTD Endure, 2016) Nalunga, A.; Kikulwe, E.M.; Ajambo, S.; Nowakunda, K.; Naziri, D.
    Cooking banana is the main staple crop in Uganda produced mostly by smallholders for food and income (Kalyebara et al., 2005). Lescot (2015) reported an average annual banana production of about 8.9 million metric tons. Haggblade and Dewina (2010) reported an annual per capita consumption of 172kg/person/year, making Uganda the largest consumer in the world. Selling cooking banana by visual inspection without measuring its weight is a common practice in East and central Africa. This system is very subjective and thus considered inefficient as it presents a huge risk of economic losses along the value chain. In some instances, cooking banana is weighed, for instance at wholesale level in Rwanda (Bauer, 2011) and at export level in Uganda (Nalunga et al., 2015). Attempts to introduce weighing at farm level have proved to be futile. This study assesses the perceptions towards and willingness to adopt a weightbased pricing system (WPS) in the cooking banana value chain in Uganda