Evaluating the Impact of Training on Potato Yield and Farmer Participation in High-value Potato Markets in Malawi

Abstract

Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) value addition has the potential to enhance household food security, nutrition and income. The crop has been at the forefront of the Malawian government’s effort on crop diversification. Despite its important role in Malawi’s food value chain, the potato sub-sector faces significant challenges including low productivity arising from a lack of clean planting material due to over-dependence on the informal sector hence resulting in low yields. This has been attributed to several challenges including the high incidence of pests and diseases which can be either seed or soil-borne. To address over-dependence on seeds from the informal sector, the International Potato Center (CIP) and other partners implemented interventions to increase the availability of clean and certified seeds. The current study therefore seeks to provide knowledge on the impact of this intervention on the potato yield. This study sought to assess the drivers of farmers' involvement in high-value markets in Malawi. The study analyzed supermarkets, universal processing industries, and exporters to represent high-value markets. The factors influencing potato producers' level of involvement in high-value markets were examined using a triple hurdle model. Difference in Difference approach with inverse probability weight method was used to evaluate the impact of farmer training on farmers' yield. The findings of the three stage model estimation revealed that participation in the high-value potato market was determined by the use of improved seed, quantity produced, participation in potato training, and also non-farm incomes. The extent of market participation was positively influenced by the ownership of transport equipment, membership to farmer groups, land size and access to agricultural credit while the distance to high-value markets was found to negatively influence In the study, the impact was differentiated by three treated groups of farmers; farmers treated with positive selection, small plot technique, combination of positive selection and small plot technique, and the control group. Farmers who participated in positive seed selection training increased their potato yield by 1,328kgs/acre. Results also showed that participation in both trainings increased farmers’ yield by 1,323kgs/acre. The study recommends collaborative efforts between stakeholders to invest in the potato sub-sector through the provision of tailored farmer training. Keywords: Farmers’ training, improved seeds, market participation, yields.