Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Articles

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2025)

Valorization options for small non-marketable potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) as a strategy to reduce postharvest losses and improve farmers’ incomes

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70060/mak-jaes-2025-162
Submitted
July 10, 2025
Published
2025-07-10

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food and cash crop grown by many farmers in Uganda, especially in the highland regions of western and eastern Uganda. However, post-harvest losses due to the high proportion of rejected small size potatoes are a major hindrance to profit maximization among farmers. The study assessed the potential of valorizing the small unmarketable potatoes into value added food products to reduce postharvest losses and improve farmers’ incomes. Flour and soup powders processed from the small potatoes through boiling, steaming, drying, and milling were profiled for proximate composition, sensory and functional properties. The results revealed no significant differences (p>0.05) in the proximate composition between flour of small and large potatoes. Soup prepared using 100g of instant flour from small potatoes contributed 19.2, 26.7, 13.8, 9.16 and 10% of the recommended daily intakes for energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fat and fibre, respectively, for women of reproductive age (15-49 years). The soup formulations exhibited excellent reconstitution properties due to their high water solubility index (3.05 - 3.80%), swelling capacity (3.70 - 4.54%) and water absorption capacity (271.01 - 652.37%). Sensory evaluation results showed that soups prepared from the small potato powders received ratings between 7 (like moderately) and 8 (like very much), comparable to the scores given to soup made from a commercial instant potato powder. The findings confirmed that the nutrient profile of small potatoes was similar to that of large potatoes. This implies that valorization of small potatoes into flour presents an opportunity for production of nutritious value added products that in turn can reduce postharvest losses and increase farmers’ incomes.