Browsing by Author "Matimbwa,Hadija"

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    Assessment of Current Post-harvest Handling Techniques for Mango and Avocado in Mbeya region, Tanzania: Challenges and Opportunities for Improvemen
    (Elsevior, 2025) Mng’ong’o, Marco E.; Matimbwa,Hadija; Komanya,Absalom; Maro, Lilian,; Mshora Abubakar, M
    Mango (Mangifera indica) and avocado (Persea americana) are valuable fruits in Tanzania, known for their nutritional and economic importance. However, their perishability leads to significant post-harvest losses, especially for smallholder farmers in Mbeya. The limited knowledge about post-harvest handling identifies a research gap. This study assessed practices and challenges among mango and avocado farmers to improve handling techniques. A survey of 150 smallholder farmers in Kyela and Rungwe districts (August–September 2024) examined harvesting, storage, transportation, and post-harvest challenges. Data analysis revealed that 64 % of farmers use traditional harvesting methods that lead to mechanical damage. While 68.8 % manually hand-harvest, others rely on tree shaking (8.3 %) and sticks or stones (18.8 %), further increasing fruit damage. Storage at ambient temperature (46 %) fails to extend shelf-life, causing rapid quality deterioration. Trans portation by motorcycle (44 %) and head carrying (34 %) exposes fruits to damage. Key challenges included fruit drop (36 %), rotting before harvest (28 %), and insect infestation (24 %). Only 23.4 % of farmers had reliable market access, highlighting a major constraint. Education level influenced challenges, with lower-educated farmers facing more rotting and pest issues. Findings indicate current post-harvest practices are inadequate, leading to major losses. Simple, cost-effective technologies like edible coatings and training on improved har vesting, storage, and transportation are necessary. Investment in affordable cold storage and better transport infrastructure is crucial. This study provides actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance mango and avocado value chains in Tanzania.
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    Human Capital Management Information System: Scope of Application and Challenges Facing the Public Sector in Tanzania
    (Regional Institute of Information and Knowledge Management, 2024-04) Matimbwa,Hadija; Olatokun,Wole
    Rationale of Study – Human Capital Management Information Systems (HCMIS) play a crucial role in facilitating decision-making within Human Resources Management by providing fast, accurate, and comprehensive data. To understand the landscape of HCMIS implementation and challenges within the public sector of Tanzania, this study conducted a systematic review of policies, legislation, and scientific literature. Methodology – The study assessed the extent of HCMIS utilisation in the Tanzanian public sector and examined associated challenges using the task-technology fit model. To analyse the gathered data, a systematic qualitative synthesis employing nomothetic-based content analysis was used. Findings – The analysis revealed that HCMIS usage in the public sector primarily focused on payroll management, with additional applications in employee information management, recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development, benefits administration, analytics and reporting, and succession planning. The five key challenges hindering HCMIS applications were also identified. Implications – The study recommends expanding the scope of HCMIS applications, improving interdepartmental coordination, ensuring adequate and consistent budget allocation for the acquisition of HCMIS accessories by Ministries, Departments, and Local Government Authorities (MDAs and LGAs), fostering greater support from top management to enhance HCMIS operations, and revising ICT and HR programme curricula in higher educational institutions to incorporate specialised courses in HCMIS operations. Originality – This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive examination of HCMIS implementation and challenges within the Tanzanian public sector. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and academia.