Value addition is transforming a primary product into a high-value product. This can be through processing, upgrading the quality, packing, and other such means. This process enhances the product’s price, quality, and importance.

Value addition is important because it increases the selling prices hence high-profit margins. It creates an opportunity for the producers to reduce losses when there is surplus production.

Forms of value addition

• Processing

• Packaging and Branding

• Certification of standards

Processing

Processing is the simple alteration of the physical or chemical characteristics of materials or products or adding value. Processing may involve quick washing of vegetables, smoking of meats and fish, cooking,  sun drying, salting, warping with leaves, and canning among others.

This may include processing maize into flour, drying herbs and groundnut into powder, canning meat products, sorting and grading fruits, and pasteurizing milk. Many agricultural products are perishable and seasonal, processing helps extend the season, making the products available all year round. 

Processing makes the products more palatable, edible, and safe and offers a great variety of products increasing the customer’s choice. Through processing, it is possible to fortify and enrich foods to add trace minerals and vitamins that address dietary deficiencies.

Packaging and branding

Packaging helps in preserving the quality of food and products. It also retains freshness and prevents mechanical damage during transportation.

Packaging also plays a role in marketing and product presentation. A well-packaged product serves as a great marketing tool for brand advertising and recognition. Labels found on the package also help reveal the product’s contents as well as the health and nutritional facts.

Product branding improves product promotion and improves its marketability. This helps the product attract more customers and this will boost the revenue and profits for the grower.

Certification of standards

This involves adherence to ethical, safety, and environmental sustainability standards. These are requirements and specifications that a product, service, or process must meet to ensure quality in a region or country is consistent.

Growers and farmers have to follow a specified guide in farming activities to achieve improved crop quality and yields. This enables them to have access to new and high-value markets for their products and better prices.

Customers are willing to pay extra for the product when it’s assured that the products and processes have passed the standards.

Conclusion

Value addition can be on a small scale or a large scale. Small scale happens at homes, small farms, and cottage factories. Large scale occurs in factories and involves large production using machines for processing food products, and health products such as drugs.

Value addition brings transformation which allows for longer storage, easier transportation as well as quality and standardization of the farm produce. Growers can adapt these processes to increase the post-harvest value of their products and maximize their farm profits.

We would love to help your farm diversify its marketing through value addition  Talk to us.