Enhancing Market Opportunities Through Value Chain Development: The Role of University Research

This paper was solicited to highlight the potential role of university research in enhancing market opportunities through value chain development. A definition of agricultural value chain is presented to get a common understanding of the term to all stakeholders. The different value chain actors are mentioned highlighting their interactions with each other and their roles. The research concerns of each actor are underscored thereby showing the possible entry points for the university in terms of research interventions. Two value chain development stories are presented (cassava and pineapple) as an illustration of the process, the roles of actors and entry points for research interventions. At producer level, pest and disease control, soil water and nutrient management plus improved technology uptake are likely to be the major research concerns. At the processing level, shelf life, nutritive value and food safety are likely to be the major research concerns whereas for traders, market analysis which involves price analysis, opportunity identification and barriers to trade may be the main concern. To the consumers, quality, safety and nutritive value may be the major concerns. The paper concludes by recommending that universities ought to position themselves to understand the research concerns of value chain actors and hence tailor their research towards addressing these concerns. Universities ought to increase their interactions with value chain actors in order to meet their research needs more appropriately.