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An Investigation of the Extent of Implementation of the Financial Management Practices of Agri-SMEs in developing countries: Evidence from Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by Elsevier 2023The success of agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises (agri-SMEs), among other factors, heavily relies on
their ability to manage finances effectively. This study examined the extent to which agricultural SMEs in
Tanzania practice financial management activities. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design to collect
data from 427 agri-SMEs in three regions of Tanzania. Descriptive statistics and higher-order reflective-formative
Structural Equation Model (SEM) were employed for data analysis. The findings indicated moderate adoption of
financial management practices. Specifically, agri-SMEs were found to frequently engage in working capital
management practices, such as maintaining sufficient cash flows and records for payables and receivables.
However, financial reporting is less frequently practiced, with sporadic financial statements preparation and
financial analysis. The findings indicate further that other financial management practices such as financial
accounting, capital budgeting and financing management were moderately and infrequently implemented, with
external financing sources being utilized less frequently compared to internal financing sources. The path
analysis indicates that all lower-order constructs significantly contributed to the higher-order financial man-
agement practice construct with capital budgeting demonstrating the strongest impact. The findings highlight the
need for improving financial reporting, analysis, and external financing usage in Tanzanian agri-SMEs. These
findings offer valuable insights agri-SMEs in developing countries to appropriately strategize on implementation
of financial management practices that will lead to improved access to finance and high performance
Posterior Distribution of the Unknown Parameter of Poisson Distribution Under Different Priors: An Application to Under-Fivemortality Data
Get PDFThis research article was published by Elservier Inc.In 2023Under-five mortality rate is one of the most essential indicator of acountry’s socio-economic well-being and public health status. Poissondistribution under different priors such as conjugate/Gamma prior,uniform and Jeffrey’s prior is used to obtain posterior distribution ofthe unknown parameter with an application to under-five mortalitydata in six East Africa countries from 1960 to 2020. The estimatesare examined through a Bayesian analysis while all the calculationsare carried out the R-statistical software and MS Excel. Among allpriors used in this study, conjugate prior was found to be compatiblefor the unknown parameters of the Poisson distribution. The casesof under-five mortality are found to reduce over time. East Africacountries through East Africa Community (EAC) should build strongand resilient health systems, identify and prioritize interventions tomitigate under-five mortality among Member States
Ecological consequences of microplastic pollution in sub-Saharan Africa aquatic ecosystems: An implication to environmental health
Get PDFthis article is published on December 1, 2023 at HydroResearch volume 7 page 39-54Microplastic pollution (MPs) emerged as a significant environmental concern due to its persistent nature. These
MPs particles endure in waters, soils, and even the atmosphere, posing potential threats to the entire ecosystem.
Aquatic organisms are at risk of ingesting MPs, leading to accumulation in tissues, ultimately affecting entire food
chain. This study aims to provide an overview of sources of MPs, distribution, and potential environmental
impacts. MPs have been documented in various substances such as bottled water, salts, seafood, and even the
air. However, the full extent of the health consequences on human exposure remains uncertain. Therefore, it is
imperative that we draw public attention to the presence of these pollutants in the environment. To mitigate
adverse effects of MPs, reducing plastic consumption, implementing improved waste management practices,
and advocating sustainable behaviors are essential for well-being of natural ecosystems and the health human
populations
Effectiveness of complementary sorting methods in reducing aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts
Get PDFThis research article was published by the World Mycotoxin Journal 16, 2023Aflatoxin contamination of staple foods remains a public health concern in many tropical and sub-tropical
countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, groundnuts are a significant source of aflatoxin (AF) in vulnerable populations
such as infants and young children. However, there are limited scalable and affordable technological interventions
to reduce the risk of aflatoxin ingestion in low and middle-income contexts. This study compared the effectiveness
of complementary sorting methods in reducing AF contamination, time taken, and percentage loss of groundnuts.
The study also evaluated bulk density and kernel weight as proxies for AF. Groundnuts were sampled from 19 bags
at a medium-scale enterprise in Tanzania (Halisi) that processes cereal-based blended flours for complementary
feeding. The samples were subjected to six sorting methods: (1) size (S) sorting, which yielded large and small
fractions (n = 38); (2) density (D) sorting, which yielded heavy and light fractions (n = 38), (3) visual (V) sorting,
(4) the combination of size and visual (SV), (5) the combination of density and visual (DV), and (6) the combination
of size, density, and visual (SDV) which yielded grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 (n = 76). Samples of unsorted groundnuts and
grades from all six sorting regimes (n = 418) were analysed for total aflatoxin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 5% significance level was used to compare AF reduction efficiency.
Aflatoxin levels were reduced by 99% for the highest grade (G1) by the SDV sorting method. The SDV sorting method
was the most effective in reducing AF contamination by removing 14% outsort (Grade 4) from 1 kg groundnut within
22 min. Bulk density and 100 kernels weight were inversely associated with AF, indicating their value as AF proxies.
Scaling up such low-cost sorting methods can significantly reduce AF along the value chain and improve food safet
Reduction in rancidity development in fortified whole‐grain maize meal by hot‐air drying of the grain
No full textThis research article was published by Cereal & Grains association,2023Background and Objective: Maize is the major staple in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Whole‐grain maize meal (WGMM) is highly susceptible to rancidity develop-
ment. This work investigated whether rancidity development in micronutrient‐
fortified WGMM is retarded by drying the grain of safe moisture content to below
this level using a commercial hot‐air grain dryer before milling.
Findings: Fat acidity (hydrolytic rancidity measure) of WGMM from maize dried
to 11.6% moisture and stored for 47 days at 40°C was only 61% of meal from the
undried grain control (13.3% moisture). Peroxide value (oxidative rancidity
measure) was only 53%. With the exception of riboflavin, there was no reduction
in fortificant micronutrients during meal storage. Descriptive sensory evaluation
indicated greater similarity to the control for stored maize meal and its stiff
porridge from dried maize than for meal and porridge from undried maize.
Conclusions: Drying maize grain to 11.6% moisture substantially retards
rancidity development in fortified WGMM development, probably by
inactivating the grain's lipase and oxidative enzymes, providing a shelf life
of at least 20 weeks at 25°C.
Significance and Novelty: This simple process to extend the shelf life of
whole‐grain maize meal is implementable by any mill with access to a hot‐air
grain dryer
The artificial neural networks-based smart number plate of vehicles with real-time traffic signs recognition and notification: a case study of public transport in EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY (EAC)
Get PDFA Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Award
the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of the Nelson
Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe world is advancing technologically in all sectors, including intelligent transportation,
whereby various vehicles' movements are monitored and controlled remotely. These
technologies simplify the tasks in traffic control and increase road safety. The previous related
works implemented and designed provided different technologies that can identify, locate and
detect the vehicle's speed. Even though these technologies have been implemented, there is still
a lack of assistance to drivers for earlier knowing and reminding the road situation and to real-
time notify the dedicated authorities such as traffic police stations once an accident happens. In
this project, an Artificial Neural Network based smart number plate with real-time traffic sign
recognition and notification was developed. The developed smart number plate comprises two
parts, the smart plate and the display. The smart plate comprises a sensing and processing unit,
while the display comprises a notification unit, and both communicate through wireless
communication. The sensing unit contains a speed sensor, vibration shock sensors, a Global
Position System (GPS), and an AI-Thinker camera. The processing unit comprises espressif
board ESP32-CAM and ESP32-S that act as controllers. The notification unit contains the
Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), and Buzzer.
With the TensorFlow model for machine learning, the smart number plate classifies and
recognizes traffic speed signs with real-time notification. This smart number plate had been
tested on different vehicles, and it assisted drivers in obeying the traffic speed signs earlier, and
the traffic police station had been alerted for emergency support. Moreover, the remained traffic
signs such as informative traffic signs were not detected and was recommended to be added
into the future machine learning models
Antifungal activity of Leonotis nepetifolia extracts against Colletotrichum species causing bean anthracnose and their phytochemical analysis using LC-MS
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Journal of Natural Pesticide Research, Volume 6, 2023Bean anthracnose results in significant yield losses, and the present primary management strategy of using synthetic fungicides is hampered by a number of factors. This study assessed the antifungal effects of aqueous, methanolic, and ethyl acetate extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia (Lamiaceae) against Colletotrichum species that cause bean anthracnose. The poisoned food technique was used to evaluate extracts in-vitro, and trials were carried out on farmer's plots. On the other hand, phytochemical analysis was done using LC-MS. Results obtained in-vitro show that the ethyl acetate extract was the most effective since it completely inhibited mycelial development at concentrations of 5 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL. On the other hand, the aqueous and methanolic extracts exhibited a comparable inhibitory effect, and at the higher concentration (5.0 mg/mL), a remarkable percentage of inhibition of 73.3% and 83.1% was recorded. According to field trials, bean anthracnose incidence was low and there were fewer infected pods per plant in plots treated with L. nepetifolia extracts than in the negative control. In comparison to the negative control plots, extracts-treated plots had larger weights of 100 seeds but no discernible negative effect in seed germination. LC-MS analysis indicated the presence of Linoleoyl ethanolamide, Curcumol, Deguelin, 9,10-dihydroxy-12Z-octadecenoic acid, Naringenin-7-O-glucoside, and 9S-hydroxy-10e 12z 15z-octadecatrienoic acid in the ethyl acetate extract whereas 6-Methoxyluteolin, Genistein, 5,7,3,4-tetramethoxyisoflavone, and 3,4-Dihydroxymandelic acid were identified in the aqueous extract. Antifungal activity and the presence of bioactive components revealed by extracts in this study demonstrate the potential of L. nepetifolia as a source of botanical fungicide for the management of bean anthracnose
The attendance alert based biometric system for employees using fingerprint: a case of hope Africa university, Bujumbura-Burundi
Get PDFA Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Award the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyAttendance has been used as a key to success in all disciplines worldwide. Most institutions’
officers make efforts to monitor the attendance of their employees in their daily activities.
However, most of the applied attendance systems used in the institutions are manual. The
manual system-based attendance management has a lot of limitations such as masquerades,
hard-to-access data, no data centralization. Automated systems-based attendances have been
developed and used in many institutions around the world. Regardless of the capability of the
automated based system to provide unique identification, the alert subsystem for the late
employees is still missing. This project developed the Attendance Alert Based-Biometric
system for Employees using Fingerprint to improve the recognition accuracy of automated
attendance systems. To use this developed system all users must be registered and then scan
their fingers on the sensor in reporting time and leaving time. This system has increased the
accuracy of the institution and allows human resource managers to know and track all
employees’ attendance and get an alert if an employee late has been detected. It also helped to
automate the processes of attendance making and make recorded data to be accessible
Identification of Resistant Common Bean Genotypes to Foliar Diseases using Hyperspectral Data
No full textThis research article was published by IEE Xplore 2023Common bean is one of many legumes (family Fabaceae) widely cultivated for their edible seeds, seedpods, and leaves. Despite its benefits and life dependency especially in sub-Saharan Africa, production of improved common bean seeds is still a problem. Among the major problems that the bean breeders are facing is manual phenotyping which led to slowing the field processes.According to the literature, imaging technologies have been introduced to help in different processes for crop management and production. However, there is a lack of automated mechanisms for phenotyping processes. Therefore, this study has reviewed existing mechanisms among breeders in Tanzania in order to propose suitable mechanisms for effective phenotyping processes. In the process of data collection, the study interviewed 60 participants among which were common bean breeders and field technicians. Questionnaires and group discussion methods were deployed to understand the insight of the participants on the current. It was observed that manual phenotyping causes biases of data due to human judgments and leads to late decision-making. Additionally, the study reviewed existing literature and it was noted that the use of technologies such as spectrometry and remote sensing technologies were found to be suitable for early and continuous plant health monitoring. However, these technologies are of high cost and produce complex outputs for the breeders to understand. However, there is a way in which these techniques can be innovatively integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in order to produce required outputs that are easy to understand and cost-effective.Based on the findings, this study proposes the development of a Hyperspectral-based system that will be used for automating phenotyping, data collection, and analysis. The system will be developed using AI that uses spectral bands captured using a cheap handheld spectrometer for the early detection of foliar diseases in bean varietie..
Development and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage System for Drying of Agricultural Products
No full textThis research article was published by American Chemical Society Volume 8 2023Passive solar dryers play a crucial role in reducing postharvest losses in fruits and vegetables, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa with low electrification rates and limited financial resources. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy presents a significant challenge for these dryers. Passive solar dryers integrated with thermal energy storage (TES) can reduce intermittence and improve the drying efficiency. Currently, phase change materials (PCMs) are popular heat storage materials in dryers, and paraffin wax dominates. The main problem with the use of PCMs is that it is necessary to closely constrain the temperature range of the process during charging and discharging. This can be a difficult condition to meet in simple solar dryers due to the variable availability of solar radiation. Instead, solid-phase materials, such as sand and rocks, are often used. Soapstone is one of the natural rocks with good thermal properties, but it has yet to be used as a TES material in solar dryers for drying agricultural products. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to develop a novel solar dryer integrated with soapstone as a TES material and evaluate its performance. The proximate analysis to examine the quality of dried products using the developed technology was also carried out. The comparative experiments for the developed dryer were conducted in two modes: dryer with TES materials and without TES materials, and the results were compared with open sun drying (OSD) by drying 50 kg of fresh pineapple and carrot at different times. The drying times for pineapples in the dryer with TES, without TES, and OSD were 13, 24, and 52 h, respectively. However, the drying times for carrots in the dryer with TES, without TES, and OSD were 12, 23, and 50 h, respectively. Notably, the dryer integrated with TES materials could supply heat for around 3–4 h after sunset. The thermal efficiency of the dryer, collector efficiency, and storage efficiency of TES materials were calculated and found to be 45, 43, and 74.5%, respectively. Proximate analysis indicated that the dryer integrated with TES materials effectively maintained the quality of the dried products compared to OSD. Solar dryer integrated with soapstone showed great promise as sustainable and efficient solutions for reducing postharvest losses and enhancing food security in resource-constrained regions like sub-Saharan Africa