In Uganda, potato is primarily grown as a cash crop and smallholder farmers sell majority of their produce immediately after harvest. Only a few farmers store ware potato for later sale using various traditional storage methods. Main reasons are farmers’ immediate need for cash, the low volumes of potato harvested, fear of loss during storage due to pests and diseases, and a lack of adequate storage facilities. In order to exploit the seasonal market price fluctuations and increase the economic return of potato farming, improved individual and collective ambient ware potato storage units were introduced. Unlike traditional storage facilities that maintain the marketability of stored potato up to five weeks only, improved ambient stores can maintain their marketability up to nine weeks. This article uses cost-benefit analysis methods to compare the economic performance of improved ambient stores with traditional storage facilities. Results indicate that few of the traditional and improved collective storage units generated profit, an aspect that was attributed to management challenges. The improved individual stores performed overall well, generating higher profit margins than improved collective stores. Improved individual stores had an average payback period of three to four years that could even be reduced to less than one year if used at full capacity. Due to their characteristics, improved individual ambient ware potato stores thus seem to be particularly suitable to substantially increase the income of potato farming households.

在乌干达，马铃薯主要作为经济作物种植，小农在收获后立即出售大部分产品。只有少数农民使用各种传统的储存方法储存马铃薯供以后销售。主要原因是农民迫切需要现金、收获的马铃薯数量少、担心储存过程中病虫害造成损失，以及缺乏足够的储存设施。为了利用季节性市场价格波动和增加马铃薯种植的经济回报，引入了改进的个人和集体常温式马铃薯储存单元。与仅将储存马铃薯的适销性保持长达 5 周的传统存储设施不同，改进的常温存储可以将其适销性保持长达 9 周。本文使用成本效益分析方法来比较改进的环境存储与传统存储设施的经济性能。结果表明，很少有传统的和改进的集体存储单元产生利润，这归因于管理挑战。改进后的个体门店整体表现良好，利润率高于改进后的集体门店。改进后的个别商店的平均投资回收期为三到四年，如果满负荷使用，甚至可以减少到不到一年。由于它们的特点，改进的个人常温马铃薯商店似乎特别适合大幅增加马铃薯种植户的收入。结果表明，很少有传统的和改进的集体存储单元产生利润，这归因于管理挑战。改进后的个体门店整体表现良好，利润率高于改进后的集体门店。改进后的个别商店的平均投资回收期为三到四年，如果满负荷使用，甚至可以减少到不到一年。由于它们的特点，改进的个人常温马铃薯商店似乎特别适合大幅增加马铃薯种植户的收入。结果表明，很少有传统的和改进的集体存储单元产生利润，这归因于管理挑战。改进后的个体门店整体表现良好，利润率高于改进后的集体门店。改进后的个别商店的平均投资回收期为三到四年，如果满负荷使用，甚至可以减少到不到一年。由于它们的特点，改进的个人常温马铃薯商店似乎特别适合大幅增加马铃薯种植户的收入。产生比改进的集体商店更高的利润率。改进后的个别商店的平均投资回收期为三到四年，如果满负荷使用，甚至可以减少到不到一年。由于它们的特点，改进的个人常温马铃薯商店似乎特别适合大幅增加马铃薯种植户的收入。产生比改进的集体商店更高的利润率。改进后的个别商店的平均投资回收期为三到四年，如果满负荷使用，甚至可以减少到不到一年。由于它们的特点，改进的个人常温马铃薯商店似乎特别适合大幅增加马铃薯种植户的收入。