Training on processing options for mango fruits to reduce postharvest losses among farmers and traders

The Strengthening Kenyan Small-scale Mango Processors to Access Market and Reduce
Losses (SAP) Project team has embarked on a series of training and capacity building
activities for mango farmers and processors in Kenya. The SAP project is a collaborative
initiative between the University of Nairobi (UON) and Purdue University (USA) which is
supported by the Rockefeller Foundation (Yieldwise initiative). The project is also supported
by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) through the Consortium for
Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss & Food Waste Reduction.
The goal of the project is to increase availability and adoption of improved and modern fruit
processing technologies to expand markets, reduce food losses, and improve access to high
quality nutritious foods in Kenya.
The University of Nairobi serves as a ‘Hub’ whose role is to develop and optimize food
processing technologies and develop innovative food products/processes. The research
products from the Hub are to benefit smallholder farmers, processors and others who are
referred to as ‘spokes’. The spokes are expected to use the research products (knowledge,
technologies/innovations, good practices etc.) from the Hub to improve their processing
activities so as to meet their target markets requirements.
Therefore on 28 th and 29 th January 2021, the SAP project team organized a training session for
a group of traders from the Association of Kenya Mango Traders (AKMT) at the Food
Processing Hub. The AKMT is a spoke that has been supported by the SAP project to
establish a simple mango processing line in Ruiru town. At the moment, the focus of AKMT
is to transform the unsold mango fruits into fruit pulp to reduce postharvest losses at the
market level.
On 2 nd and 3 rd February 2021, the SAP project team organized another training session for
Kawala Horticultural Farmers from Makueni County. The Kawala group are beneficiaries of
previous capacity building activities conducted by the UON Postharvest Research team. They
are also the first beneficiaries of the Coolbot Cold Storage Technology in Kenya which was
installed by the UON under the USAID’s Kenya Innovation Engine. The group wants to
venture into small-scale processing mango fruits. The training was therefore aimed at
enlightening them on the diverse products that can be processed from mango fruits.
The two-day training activity for the two separate groups had two sessions; an intensive
theory session to cover the basic principles in fruit/food processing and a practical session.
The theory session was conducted virtually using the Google meet platform. The opening
ceremony of the virtual theory session was graced by the Chairmen of the participating
Departments; Plant Science & Crop Protection (Prof. James Muthomi) and Food Science,
Nutrition & Technology (Dr. George Abong’). Also present to officially open the training
was the Dean Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Moses Nyangito and Principal, CAVS, Prof. Rose
Nyikal.
The theory session was followed by a full day practical training on wet and dry processing of
various mango products. The two groups were trained on wet and dry processing of various

mango products including pulp, ready-to-drink juices, mango jam, mango chutney, mango-
yoghurt, mango wine, canned mango slices, mango chips and mango rolls/leathers.
At the end of the two-day training for each group, the participants appreciated the enormous
opportunities that value addition of mango fruits presents for agribusiness ventures. The SAP
project team will continue to conduct targeted training sessions on request from interested
groups.
For more information about the SAP project, contact Prof. Jane Ambuko E-mail:
jane.ambuko@uonbi.ac.ke Twitter @ambuko

Prof. James Muthomi poses for a group photo with Kawala Horticultural Group trainees