Use of loss reduction practices are critical to ensuring losses are reduced significantly along the value chain. This necessitates for the need to assess the factors that influence adoption of the loss reductio practices to have better targeting and development. Therefore, the current study assessed the factors that influence adoption, and multistage sampling technique was employed. The counties and the sub-counties were purposively selected, and the mapping began from Nairobi which is the main market for mangoes. Wholesalers, and retailers were interviewed making use of snowballing, while farmers were randomly selected. A total of 70 farmers were selected, 74 wholesalers, and 98 retailers were sampled.From the study, at the farm level results revealed that about 38.7 % of the farmer respondents prefer use of stick and bag. On the other hand, about 37.1 % of farmers in Machakos had preference of hand picking as the main method of harvesting. Wholesaler preferred the use of cartons in Nairobi, while those in Embu and Machakos had higher preference of use of shades. Result from the empirical model showed that credit was a critical factor to use of the practices at the farm with a 40 % influence on use of multiple practices. Experiencing higher losses influenced adoption of the practices by 4.3 %, and would influence use of multiple practices by 19.2 %. Organized selling was the critical factor for wholesalers and influenced adoption by 43.4 %.Retailers in Embu and Machakos on the other hand, were 19.9 % less likely to take up the practices. The results further showed that higher PHL influence retailer to take up loss reduction practices by 30.2 %, and those that were more experience were 20 % more likely to take up the practices.From the result it was thus concluded that cost effectiveness, ability to reduce losses, and increase of incomes were some of the things actors were interested with before they could take up any loss reduction practice. Through the study it was evident that high PHL less to higher use of the practices, and also positively influence the intensity of use of the practices. It was thus recommended that there is need for upgrading the current low-cost technologies to make them more user friendly so that they are not time-wasting during harvest, and for the traders they are able to carry optimal quantities that lead to profit maximization.

The study has empirically assessed factors responsible for influencing adoption choices among actors in the mango value chain. A multistage sampling technique is employed, where the two counties are selected purposively, since they are the project sites for Rockefeller foundation, and Nairobi on basis of largest fruit market in the country. Selection of wholesalers and retailers is done through snowballing, while farmers are randomly selected. A total of 74 wholesalers are selected and interviewed, 13 brokers, 101 retailers, and 70 farmers.The results reveal that in Embu, about 38.72% of farmers preferred stick and bag while 37.14% of respondents from Machakos preferred hand picking. At the wholesale level, respondent from Nairobi preferred use of cartons, in Embu and Machakos they preferred use of shades. Retailers preferred use of shades and peeling. The Heckpoisson model at the farm level showed that those with access to credit were 40% less likely to adopt more practices. However, farmers experiencing high PHL were more likely to adopt loss reduction practices by 4.3%, and were 19.2% more likely to embrace a number of practices. At the wholesale level, traders that were engaged in organized selling were 43.35% more likely to adopt one or more loss reduction practices. However, PHL increase led to a 39.53% less likelihood of adopting one or multiple practices. At the retailer’s level, the results indicated that retailers in the local county were 19.93% less likely to adopt loss reduction practices. On the other hand, those experienced in mango trading were 4.85% more likely to adopt the practices, while increase in PHLs led to a 30.16% more likelihood of adopting loss reduction practices.Thus, more probing to the low adoption rates revealed that the major limiting factors to adoption at the farm were lack of involvement in harvesting (44.1%) and high labor requirement (38.9%). At the trader’s level, wholesalers claimed the major limiting factors to be; reduced quantities (53.8%), lack of stores (53.1%), and time wastage (26.4%). Retailers claimed lack of stores (36.1%), and reduced quantities handled (23.4% and 32.4%) to be the major limiting factors.Hence, the study concluded that the technologies preferred were those that are cost effective, could reduce PHL, and could help increase the respondent’s income. It was evident that as PHL increase, the likelihood of adopting loss reduction practices increased. In addition, with high PHL, respondents were willing to adopt multiple loss reduction practices at the different levels of the value chain. However, credit is not an effective way of dealing with adoption as respondents were found to divert the funds thus negatively impacting on adoption. The study also asserted that most farmers were not involved in harvesting thus did not have control over harvesting and handling practices. Wholesalers were majorly involved, and feared of reduced quantities and lack of store. Similar fears were witnessed at the retail level. Therefore, from the findings, the research recommends for detailed research and upgrading of the available loss reduction practices to ensure they allow chain actors to meet their objective of profit maximization as well as meet the need for PHL reduction.

Dried mangoes are new in the Kenyan market and there are no studies in Kenya to demonstrate consumer awareness and willingness to pay (WTP) for them. The use of natural preservatives produces healthier products and it is not clear whether dried mangoes preserved this way would fetch a premium price. In addition, factors that would condition WTP for such mangoes in a cosmopolitan city like Nairobi are not known. Hence this study makes a modest attempt to bridge this knowledge gap. Primary data was collected from 414 buyers of fresh fruits and processed fruit products in the main retail outlets in Nairobi. Descriptive statistics were used to assess consumer awareness and WTP amount while a tobit model was used to estimate the conditioning factors. In order to minimize the probability of starting-point bias found in interactive bidding techniques, this study elicited the maximum WTP amount for naturally preserved dried mangoes. The study found low (16%) awareness of solar dried mangoes. Consumers were WTP an average premium of an estimated 29% for naturally preserved mangoes, with taste being a key quality attribute. Consumer WTP for naturally preserved dried mangoes was positively influenced by age, gender, education, marital status, mass media, place of purchase and having tasted naturally preserved dried mangoes. Product promotion through the mass media and within the retail stores is necessary to raise awareness and influence demand. These findings are useful in developing niche markets for solar dried mangoes.

Abstract Horticultural production is a source of livelihood for many smallholder farmers in Kenya. However, the potential is hampered by high postharvest losses estimated at 40%–50% in fruit and vegetables. The losses are attributed to various factors including postharvest handling, lack of storage technologies, lack of processing facilities, and poor market access. Consequently, some farmer groups have resorted to aggregation of their mangoes and engagement in small scale processing of mangoes into shelf stable products that cannot be marketed widely. In order to bridge the lack of capacity of smallholder farmers, the University of Nairobi's postharvest project with support from the Rockefeller Foundation's YieldWise Initiative seeks to upgrade two fruit aggregation centers by creating awareness and providing existing, applicable, and proven postharvest loss reduction technologies such as tunnel solar driers, brick coolers, charcoal, and CoolbotTM cold storage technologies. However, the potential economic impact of the proposed investment is not known. Hence, this study aimed at assessing the potential economic returns to investment in postharvest loss reduction technologies among smallholder mango farmers in Embu County of Kenya. A critical overview on methods employed in analyzing returns to investment in agricultural technologies has been provided. The economic surplus model was used to estimate the potential benefits of the investment. Using the cost–benefit analysis (CBA) approach, a maximum adoption rate of 10% over 10 years, and a 10% discount rate, it was found that the investment was worthwhile. The NPV was US $ 1.3 billion. The IRR and BCR were 28% and 4.29, respectively. Sensitivity analyses showed that the investment is viable at higher adoption and lower discount rates indicating the need to promote the technologies even under more difficult macroeconomic conditions.