Comparative costs and benefits of strands of post-harvest operations along the rice value chain in Kilombero and Mbarali districts, Tanzania

The study examines the costs and benefits of various post-harvest technical operations in rice farming in Kilombero and Mbarali districts, Tanzania. Data gathered through farmer interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, benefit-cost ratio, and partial budget analysis indicates that post-harvest operations significantly impact rice grain handling. The highest benefit-cost ratio (5.44) was associated with the sickle harvesting plus threshing machine strand, followed by the combine harvester operation (5.29). Conversely, the sickle harvesting plus bambam threshing plus wind winnowing strand resulted in a loss. The partial budget analysis revealed that sickle harvesting plus threshing machine operation yielded the highest profit per hectare, followed by the combine harvester. The study recommends sickle harvesting plus threshing machine for small farms and combine harvester for larger ones. Overall, it underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate post-harvest operation strand for maximizing profits in rice farming.