A Study Of The Effects Of Storage Methods On The Quality Of Maize And Household Food Security In Rungwe District, Tanzania
Rose Mboya
A sample of 260 farm households that were randomly selected in Katumba ward, Rungwe district, Tanzania were studied for the effects of storage methods on the quality of maize grain and household food security using qualitative and quantitative methods. Maize storage problems, amounts of maize that farm households harvested and amounts of maize that farm households lost to pests per year, food security status and farm households’ perceptions concerning their food security status were investigated using face - to - face semi - structured and structured interviews. Common storage methods that farm households used to store maize and the dietary importance of maize were investigated through interviews, seasonal calendars and the matrix for scoring and ranking. The quality of maize was investigated through conducting mycological analysis and through investigating levels of insect infestation using the incubation method on maize samples collected from a sub-sample of 130 farm households at harvest and after five months of storage period.
Publication Details
- Published: 2011
- Publisher: School Of Agricultural Sciences And Agribusiness, University Of Kwazulu-Natal