CAULIFLOWER VALUE ADDITION AND FOOD SAFETY

Introduction to harvesting, cleaning and size reduction

 

3.1 Processing flow diagram of cauliflower from harvesting to size reduction

 

3.2 Classification of cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of the vegetables that belong to the cabbage family. Cauliflower is one of the highly perishable vegetable due to its high water content. Based on the number of days to maturity cauliflower can be categorized as:

1. Early maturity – ready for harvesting 40-45 days after transplanting mostly in warm area
2. Medium maturity- ready for harvesting 60-75 days after transplanting  and mostly within the mid hills
3. Late maturity – Ready for harvesting 80-140 days after transplanting.

Cauliflower can be cultivated in a wide range of weather from cool, warm or even hot weather. The tropical type of cauliflower can be cultivated in rainy season and still get some good yield. The vegetable can equally do well in a wide range of soil, probably on soils with high organic matter giving higher yields.

 

 

 

3.3 Harvesting of Cauliflower

Cauliflower should be harvested at maturity.  The cauliflower are often mature when the head is full and of big size often 15-20 cm.  To achieve this level of yield, one needs to check on the cauliflower when they are 5-7 cm.  At this stage one should pull a few leaves and tie them loosely around the cauliflower head for better quality and more compact heads. To protect the heads from injury, harvest the mature cauliflower with a few leaves. The best harvesting time for vegetables is in the morning hours after the dew dries. Care should be taken not to keep the harvested cauliflower in direct sunlight as this leads to accelerated spoilage.       

3.4 Cleaning of Cauliflower

Like most vegetables, Cauliflower equally has some soil adhering on the surfaces, thus there is the need to clean the harvested vegetables to ensure supply or retail of clean vegetables.

Wash cauliflower under running water to remove any adhering soil particles.  After cleaning with running water, deep the vegetables in salted water (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of water or salted water at 2%). This will serve to remove any surface adhering pesticides as well as any worm, if any on the cauliflower leaves.           

3.5. Removal of inedible parts

 

Figure 2: Cleaned and trimmed cauliflower

(Source: Google Images, 2020)

 

After the harvesting of cauliflower, there needs to be a quick grading of the vegetables. While doing the grading, often size and integrity of the head is observed as they inform the pricing.  Key to note equally is the need to eliminate any diseased or near rotting vegetables or highly infested with pests.

After sorting and grading is done, one is left with consumable cauliflower or healthy cauliflower which is good for human consumption. Generally, all the parts of cauliflower are edible and highly nutritious.  Depending on the delicacy that one wishes to make, often, the outer  leaves  and the stalks are removed, and can later be added to the soups or stew if one so wishes.

The outer layer skin of the lower half of cauliflower are slightly tough thus should be peeled before adding them to the recipes.

Peeling of the tough parts of the cauliflower can be done using simple kitchen equipment such as a knife or manually removing using clean hands. There are equally fabricated machines that can aid in removal of the outer leaves and the tough stalk.

3.6 Disintegration or size reduction

Figure 3: On-farm size reduction of cauliflower

(Source: Google images, 2020)

 

The field sorted cauliflower curds that reach the pack-house or collection center should be trimmed off excessively long stems and leaves.

 The cauliflower head or curd should be well trimmed with 10 mm stem and a maximum of four wrapper leaves. The wrapper leaves will minimize the rate of spoilage. The attached leaves are the ones that deteriorate first during marketing and storage. This enhances deterioration of the curd as well, since the curd is very sensitive to the ethylene that is evolved by the senescing /deteriorating leaves.

3.7 Health benefits of cauliflower

I.It is a good source of antioxidants especially glucosinolates and isothiocynates.

II.The vegetables are high in choline which plays a role in maintaining the integrity of cell membrane.

III.The vegetables are low in calories but high in vitamins especially vitamin C.

IV.The vegetables are high in insoluble fiber.

V.The vegetables have bioactive compounds which have anti-inflammatory properties.

 4. Principles and Methods of Value Addition

4.1. Introduction      

Cauliflower is one of the currently trending vegetables in Rwanda. The vegetables can be grown in a wide range of climatic zones. Cauliflower have high water content and thus highly perishable. The vegetables thus desires prompt consumption or adequate preservation methods to prolong their shelf stability and prevent rapid degradation.

4.2  Preservation and methods that can be utilized

After harvesting and cleaning of the cauliflower, depending on the quantity harvested, there can be prompt consumption or the need to preserve or store or transport for export.  The vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked. The vegetables are cleaned in 2% salty water to remove any surface adhering worms and pesticides. The cleaned vegetables should now be subjected to proper post-harvest handling to minimize losses of the yields as discussed below.

 

4.2.1 On farm sorting and grading

The grading of cauliflowers takes into consideration the size of the cauliflowers harvested and the maturity of the heads.  The cauliflowers are equally checked for any pesticides as well as for any residual chemicals. Cauliflowers that do not meet the standards are eliminated and thus not subjected for further processing.

 

4.2.2 Trimming

Cauliflower trimming entail removal of extra leaves to just leave about four leaves to protect the inner curd. These four leaves are sufficient to maintain the structural integrity of the cauliflowers. Care should be taken to check for any discoloration of the heads. When removal of the discoloration is not possible due to excessive necrosis or rot then the samples should be totally eliminated.

 

4.2.3 Sorting and grading

After trimming of the cauliflower, they are immediately sorted and graded. Sorted and graded cauliflowers are divided into three broad categories: Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. The varied grades fetch different prices at the market.

 

4.2.4 Packaging

Packaging of the harvested cauliflower is one key step in minimizing post-harvest losses. Often, much of the produce is lost during post-harvest handling. Depending on how one packages their produce, much of the produce can be lost to spoilage or quite a little can be lost. The type of packaging material and how packaging is done greatly influences the packaging process and the quality of the packaged cauliflower.

 

4.2.4.1 Packaging materials

For efficient handling and transporting of fresh cauliflower the available packaging materials include: bamboo baskets, wooden crate, returnable and stackable plastic crates, polyethylene (this is banned in Rwanda) or polypropylene plastic bags, sacks made from plastic twine, and cardboard box/cartons.

Apart from plastic crates, these packaging materials are commonly used because of their low cost and widespread availability, but in most cases, they are used inappropriately (overfilling, incompatibility with the nature of produce) especially in hauling and in transporting fresh produce from the farm.

 

4.2.4.2 Consideration of packaging materials

The best packaging material for the curds is the plastic crates. The crates are preferred for their smooth inside finish makes them easy. In addition, the crates are reusable and can serve for about ten years. While using the crates care should be taken to avoid physical damages due to abrasion. This necessitates the use of small plastic sheet lines to minimize damages.

. When using plastic crates as container, the following considerations should be observed:

1. Hygiene – plastic crates should be thoroughly cleaned with soap/detergent and then sanitized by dipping in a sanitizer such as sodium hypochlorite to reduce the microbial load on the crate.
2. Handling – handle with care during loading, stacking and unloading; do not drop. Do not use as seats when sorting.
3. Storage – store in a clean area that will prevent insects and rodents harboring the crate or storage area. Store the crates separately from chemicals and farm machinery to prevent contamination. Crates should not be left exposed to the external environment since they will readily wear out. Do not use as a storage or transport container for chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides)

 

4.2.5 Transportation

To ensure the cauliflower reach their destination while in the desired condition and with maintained integrity proper transport practices should be observed. For proper transportation of the cauliflower, the following considerations should be checked:

1. During loading and offloading, the containers should be gently handled. Avoid dropping or throwing the containers at each other.
2. The transporting team should avoid sitting on the cauliflower packages during transportation.
3. Care should be taken to not use the bottom containers of the stack as a step for stacking for greater heights, especially if the containers are cotton or of low integrity.
4. While on transit, do not expose the packages to direct sunlight
5. Allow air to circulate in the stacks or piles – leave small spaces between the stacks.
6. Minimize delays or facilitate the transfer of packaged produce from one part of the market to another; four-wheeled hand trolleys will minimize damage during unloading and the transfer of produce packed in plastic crates.
7. Always use a clean transporting vehicles to avoid quality compromise- remains from previous transported vegetables can rampantly cause deterioration. Always check for; insects and rodents nesting in the vehicles; the vehicle should not be used as a storage area of farm implements and chemicals such as fertilizers.

4.3  Preservation by dehydration (removal of water through drying or salting)

After harvesting the cauliflower from the farm, the harvests are cleaned in 2% salty water to remove any surface adhering pesticide. The cauliflower are then graded as per their size and the compactness of the heads. The graded cauliflowers undergo size reduction using a knife or any other size reducing equipment such as a slicer. The size reduced cauliflowers are then subjected to sun drying or salting. The process entails removal of water content thus lowering spoilage due to micro-organisms, reduced water activity and lowered enzymatic activity. Salting the vegetables equally entails addition of a little salt in the cauliflower to fasten the process of water loss before subjecting them to drying

 

Figure 4: Dried and ground cauliflower powder

(Source: Google Images, 2020)

 

 

 5. Value Adding Technologies

5.1 Cauliflower Processing Technologies

Food and nutrition security is a major challenge within the tropical countries. The food that is produced need to be protected from post-harvest losses. The little steps that can be done to add value to cauliflowers are simple conventional processing techniques such as blanching, cooking, canning and dehydration of blanching.

 

With the increase population and the dramatic change in lifestyle of populations, there is an increasing demand in ready-to-eat foods or extruded foods. The consumers are equally demanding for highly nutritious food and this has led to value addition of cauliflowers through blending it with other delicacies to increase its consumption.  A look at some of the processing techniques is therefore necessary.

5.2 Dehydration/drying of cauliflower to flour

Cauliflower vegetables are highly perishable due to the high water content and thus needs proper post-harvest handling to ensure its longer availability for use. The process of dehydration involves removal of water from the vegetables. For small scale farmers this can be done through sun drying but while observing hygienic conditions to avoid contamination. Larger scale farmers can do solar drying or oven drying of the vegetables to remove the water. The dried cauliflower can be milled to flour and incorporated in other products to increase its nutritional value and eating quality. The dried cauliflower can be used as an animal fat substitute for beef sausages while the dried green leafy portion can be incorporated into soups and porridge flours Cauliflower byproducts extracts show significant free radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing ability and capacity to inhibit lipid oxidation

The diversification of vegetables products for export & domestic consumption reduces the risk of loss due to price fluctuation.  Minimal processing of vegetables help on preserving their nutritional qualities.

Figure 5: Sun dried cauliflower vegetables prior to milling

5.3 Blanching

Blanching is a short time heat treatment of vegetables to aid in stopping growth and maturation enzyme activity after harvesting. It also has other benefits that include: minimizing loss of flavor and color as well as maintaining the texture of the cauliflower. The following steps can be followed during blanching prior to freeze storage of the vegetables.

1. Wash, drain, sort, trim and cut vegetables.
2. Put vegetables into blancher (wire basket, coarse mesh bag or perforated metal strainer) and lower into boiling water.

Or;

Steam blanch: boil 1-2 inches of water in a pot, bring to boil and then put a single layer of vegetables in basket.

1. Cover. Start counting blanching time as soon as water starts to boil.

Or;

If steam blanching, start counting immediately.

1. Keep heat high for the time given in the directions.
2. Cool immediately in ice water or cold water (60 degrees F or below) for the same time used in blanching. Regularly stir the vegetables during cooling.
3. Drain vegetables thoroughly.
4. Pack the vegetables either by dry-pack or tray-pack. Dry-pack involves packing the cauliflowers tightly in containers or freezer bags. Press out air and seal tightly. Tray-pack involves putting a single layer of the vegetable on a shallow pan and put the pan into the freezer. As soon as the cauliflower is frozen, put them into a freezer bag or container. Press out air and seal tightly.
5. Freeze the cauliflower since frozen vegetables maintain a high quality for 8 to 12 months at zero degrees F or lower.

5.4 Cooking

This is a heat treatment of the cauliflower for consumption. Depending on the quality desired by an individual or the recipes, one can steam, boil or stew the cauliflower vegetables.

 

5.4.1 Steamed cauliflowers

After harvesting or purchasing the cauliflowers, the vegetables are subjected to cleaning and then size reduction. The size reduced cauliflowers can then be steamed to make a delicacy (steaming is a form of cooking)

5.4.2 Caramelized roasted cauliflowers

The clean washed cauliflowers are subjected to size reduction or removal of the outer leaves. The cauliflowers are then roasted in a sugar (for caramelization) to aid in the development of flavors. The processes leads to brown delicious cauliflowers as depicted in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Caramelized cauliflower

(Google, 2020)

5.5 Canning

Pressure canning is the only safe method for home canning vegetables. Vegetables are low-acid foods and must be canned in a pressure canner at the appropriate pressure to guarantee their safety. Deadly foodborne illness can occur when low-acid vegetables are not properly preserved. Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium that causes botulism food poisoning in low-acid foods such as vegetables. In vegetables and meat, the bacteria produce spores that can only be destroyed by temperatures that reach 240°F for the correct amount of time in a pressure canner.

 

 

6.    Introduction to Product Quality Assurance.

6.1 Introduction

For efficient and effective trade, both at the national level and international level, food standards serve as one of the guiding documents on what should be sold. The parties concerned in the framework of a standard body often develop the standards.  The standards are often voluntary and based on a consensus by the interested parties. However, once a standard is set then it becomes mandatory for the parties to ensure their products meet the set standards.  Standardization consists of the process of formulating, issuing and implementation of standards. The standards protect the consumers and equally ensures there is a well-defined requirement that the producers and trader have to meet.

Figure 7: Rwanda Standard Board symbol

(Source: Google, 2020)

6.2 Principle aspects of Standardization

Standards play an important role in facilitation trade. The standards which are voluntary can be legally binding and be used as a basis of a contract between the producers and the consumers. The standards must specify each requirements clearly and the requirements be easily measured objectively. For agriculture and the food Industry the most important aspects of Standardization are:

I.Terminology- the standard should be written in a  language understood by all parties (AffirmX, 2020)

Figure 8: Sign depicting ‘No Language barrier while drafting standards’

(Source: AffirmX.com, 2020)

 

II.Methods of sampling analysis- the sampling method should be adequate, ascertain quality, quality assurance, quality control and management with regards to effecting variations.

III.Product specification and grading- food standards should have a specification of each element or content of the food. The limits should be well established and categorically specified.

IV.And requirements for handling, transport and Storage- Food Standard should specify the packaging materials for a particular food product. The handling, transport and storage conditions as well as the longer a product should stay before spoilage (Tata Motors, 2020).

Figure 9: A well partitioned vehicle for vegetable transportation

(Source: Tata Motors, 2020)

6.3 Food safety and Standards applied

Food safety refers to all the processes that food is taken to ensure the food would not cause harm to the final consumer if handled and prepared in the right way. Food safety therefore plays a major role along the farm to fork value chain.

 

There are various types of food safety standards which includes: numerical standards (giving value limits of the ingredients or level permissible for each constituent of the food); Processes standards (this are guidelines on how the food should be handled along the value chain; process standards that largely target the management of systems.

Food safety standards applied along the cauliflower value chain include but not limited to:

 

• HACCP- this is a hands-on process that mostly is undertaken by the food handlers to aid in monitoring of each and every stage / process that the food is subjected to. This is done in order to detect hazards that could be in the cauliflower and set up critical control points where they occur.
• Good manufacturing practices- Good manufacturing practices equally guide the producers on the pre-requisite requirements and the expectation of the manufacturing company to ensure produced food are of high quality.
• ISO standards- are international standards that are used to accredit both agricultural producers and other institutions. There are well defined ISO series for each set of organization types.

6.4 Basic Characteristics of a Standard

The general principle concerning the content of a standard should include:

6.4.1 Test method for each requirement

A good standard should clearly specify how each requirement is to be tested, for instance, if the moisture content of a food product is to be less than 14 %, like for most cereals, then a good standard should specify, the method of determination of moisture content, often the AOAC methods.

6.4.2 Avoidance of repetition

A standard should be singular and non-repetitive. The standard should be clearly stated and any concerns of ambiguity or repetitiveness avoided. The standard should have one way to interpret.

6.4.3 Alternative test methods

A good standard should give more than one option to determine each required element. For instance, a good standard can give more than one option for weight determination of a product. This can enable the parties involved to be flexible and use cost effective and readily available items to determine each requirement.

 

6.4.4 Values to be declared by the manufacturer

A good standard should highlight the requirements that must be declared by the producers or manufacturer. This shall aid in verification process of the product. One shall then check for the requirements levels as per the standard and equally check for conformity as declared by the manufacturer.

 

6.4.5 Implementation of Basic concepts of a standard

A good standard should clearly state its implementation process and the requirements. This should be clearly stated in a language that all the stakeholders understand as well as have a singular interpretation. Emphasis should be created to avoid the use of indefinite adverbs and or adjective.

There is need for precision.

 

6.4.6 Avoidance of duplication

Ambiguity while drafting a standard is not tolerated. Duplication should be avoided while drafting a standard. Standards should be precisely written.

 

6.4.7 Reference to Standards

There are international standards developed by bodies such as CODEX as well as Rwanda Standards board. While citing the standards, clear reference should be made to the body/institution that informs the standards.

6.5 Importance of Standards in the cauliflower value chain

Food standards are developed in order to:

I.Achieve food safety & reliability in the cauliflower value chain.

II.Reduce costs of cauliflower and increase flexibility of access.

III.Promote both National and international trade (Facilitate Trade) of the crop.

IV.Form the basis for mutual understanding between different parties in the cauliflower chain.

V.Facilitate communication, measurement, commerce and manufacturing.

 

7. Product Traceability

7.1 Introduction

An elaborate and efficient product recall and traceability system is needed to ensure strict adherence to international food standards and National food standards. The growth and trade of cauliflower and its products needs proper product traceability.  The ability of a business or a farm to track movements of various food products (raw materials, food compounds and finished products) throughout the supply chain (farm to fork) is quite necessary as it shall ensure customers are served efficiently.  A good product systems provides the following benefits

 

7.1.1 Food security

Food traceability ensures one is able to track raw materials i.e. cauliflower from the supplier to the final product. Traceability thus ensures food production strictly adheres to HACCP procedures as guided for a particular product. With the knowledge of all the ingredients used to make a particular product and the sources of the raw materials, traceability ensures food safety.  Consumers are quite concerned about the food they eat and the sources of the food. Traceability ensures the producer can ascertain which particular consumer partook the food and thus create an easy product recall process.

Figure 10: A food safety notice/image

(Source: PublicHealthnotes.com, 2020)

 

7.1.2 Real time location of food products

Traceability further entails knowing exactly where a particular lot or batch is and the ingredients used. The ability to trace the products at every stage of the value chain ensures efficient recall program. It is further advantageous to both the company and the consumers. Although at national level not so much product tracing is done in vegetable value chains compared to the export market which demands for an efficient and elaborate product tracing system.

 

7.1.3 Ease of correction action

The knowledge of the exact location for a particular lot, ensures an efficient recall program or an efficient correction action should any quality issue arise.

 

7.1.4 Compliance with regulation

Reliable and verifiable complete traceability management software is vital as it ensures the product becomes compliant with new regulatory requirements as well as the standard requirements by International food safety organization.

7.2 Components of a traceability system

There are three basic components of a traceability system:

1. A mechanism for identifying Traceability Resource units- involves making a choice of the identifier code types and structures.
2. A mechanism for documenting transformation- the food supply chain which entails the movement of material from the farm to the table has series of transformations (change of product form one phase to the next value added product) There is therefore the need to document this transformations, Thus for a good traceability system, there has to be a reliable mechanism for documenting the transformations.
3. A mechanism for recording the TRU Attributes- Having the right TRU Identify, the next component of a traceability system is to establish a sufficient recorder for the splits of the transformations

7.3 Challenges to food Traceability

To effectively have a traceability program, especially for the small enterprises, there are a lot of challenges that one has to deal with. The cost of implantation is quite high as well as having a well-established software to run efficiently is quite technical. Thus in the development of a working traceability program, the company or individual has to overcome the following challenges:

i.High Maintenance cost- The cost of installation and maintenance could be quite high

ii.Difficult and Time consuming data analysis- one needs to source for the right set of expertise to assist in data analysis. This takes up a lot of time and consequently resources.

iii.Increased information required by the consumer. Consumers are demanding to know what exactly they are consuming and what is the source of the raw materials, are there chemical residues, is the production near a company or are there traces of heavy metals? With the increased awareness from the consumers and the demand to know whether vegetables are organic or non-organic and or if the raw materials for a product are ethically sourced.

iv.Strict legal regulation- The laws are quite clear on the need to adhere to the international and National standards. Tracing the item shall ensure product is monitored all through the value chain to be able to detect all the possible sources of contamination

• Criteria for an effective food traceability system

i.Improper documentation – a good traceability should contain all the necessary information that includes but is not limited to: contact information of all the parties involved along the supply chain.  List of food products and their provider, list of product descriptions, lot identification for ease of tracking.  The raw material and their respective codes, dates and characteristics should be well captured. The production or manufacturing conditions, Storage conditions. Packaging materials and carrier and distribution should be well stated.

ii.inefficient inventory Tracking and management- A reliable software should be used to track the raw materials up to the final product

iii.Response preparedness- A good traceability schedule creates an environment for timely response in the event of any food contamination.

 

8. Equipment / processor Maintenance and Operation

8.1 Introduction

Machines or equipment need to be periodically maintained to ensure longer machine service years as well as increased efficiency and reduced machine downtime.  Preventive maintenance refers to regularly performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of it failing. The maintenance is formed on a working equipment to minimize the likelihood of failure.  Preventive maintenance serves to benefit through lowering maintenance costs, reducing equipment downtime, improving asset lifespan & efficiency and work place safety.

Figure 11: Equipment maintenance best practices 

(Source: Blog.ezofficeinventory.com, 2020)

 

There are seven types of preventive maintenance:

8.1.1 Time Based Maintenance

Entails periodical replacement of parts. The frequency of maintenance is often as prescribed by the manufacturer and or past performances.

 

8.1.2 Predictive maintenance

Is more of a forecasted maintenance - the procedure entails pinpointing when a piece of equipment is likely to fail and addressing it before it happens. This aids in minimizing downtime. The model further helps one to plan maintenance tasks based on knowledge about overall equipment health and expected performance. This expertise is gained through gathering and analysis of data.

8.1.3 Corrective Maintenance

While having the periodical preventative maintenance schedules a problem may be identified. The problem should be corrected immediately without getting a new work order for the equipment. Thus is either on or offsite corrective action.

 

8.1.4 Prescriptive maintenance

This method of maintenance is near similar to predictive maintenance as they give final similar outcomes of forecasting. However, it uses advanced analysis, machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate insights to predict about maintenance and when to do it.

 

8.1.5 Risk-based monitoring

This is performed on equipment to decrease mechanical failures by evaluating the level of risks associated with the equipment then prioritizing the maintenance activity,

 

8.1.6 Condition-based maintenance

Involves monitoring the condition of a piece of operating equipment or machinery to determine what type of maintenance needs to be done and when to do it. Key elements to consider while monitoring the condition are: visual, wear debris or particles, temperature and sound.

 

8.1.7 Failure finding maintenance

Is often done to randomly check if part of or an equipment is still working. It can be termed as checkup maintenance. This method of checkup applies hidden failures that can be uncovered through check up 

8.2 Benefits of Preventive Maintenance

i.Reduces business or farm operations downtime and closures due to unexpected equipment failures.

ii.Increases equipment life expectancy.

iii.Ensures employees work only during schedule time (eliminates overtime payments).

iv.Significantly reduces safety risks for employees and customers.

v.Less energy consumption and thus reduces bills.

8.3 Constraints of Preventive maintenance

i.Budget constraints and considerations – It may require a significant portion of the financial budget.

ii.Time-consuming scheduling and inspections.

iii.Staff time and resources are overcommitted to the exercise.

iv.Overkill (frequent and unnecessary) preventive maintenance may occur.

v.It requires a considerable amount of planning and commitment.

 

 

9. Conclusion

 

There is need to increase horticultural production in Rwanda both for national consumption and for International trade. The key steps to ensuring an increased productivity of cauliflower is to have a full value chain approach of cauliflower production. The technical knowledge and skills that are held within the research institutions need to be shared with the farm household in simple and easy to format. This training manual shall facilitate the training of Cauliflower farmers for increased productivity. To increase the productivity of cauliflowers to levels that can catapult farmers to export their produce, the following points should be considered:

I.Map cauliflower producers into specific ecological zones and supply them with the various varieties that do well in those zones/regions.

II.Motivate the farmers to appreciate cauliflower farming as the next big business frontier. This entails helping the farmers to appreciate the international markets as well as national markets to increase revenue generation.

III.Educate the farmers on standards and quality check parameters that govern the production and trade of cauliflower.

IV.The Government of Rwanda should allocate an equitable proportion of the agricultural budget to boost cauliflower farming.

V.Equip the farmers with simple value addition technologies as well as handling protocols to ensure their produce meets the standards for international trade.

 

 

 

10. References

AffirmX. (2020, November 30). Battling the Language Barrier. Retrieved from Affirmx.com: https://www.affirmx.com/2016/03/21/battling-language-barrier/

Cartercenter. (2020, November 30). The Carter Center. Retrieved from Trachoma Health Education Materials Library: Flip Charts: https://www.cartercenter.org/health/trachoma_education/flipcharts.html

Tata Motors. (2020, November 30). Fruit and Vegetable Van gallery. Retrieved from Tatamotors: https://www.tatamotors.co.tz/product/applications/distribution/fruit-and-vegetable-van/