Shea butter has gained maximum attention in local and international markets for its diverse and widely effective use in pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics firms, and domestic culinary (food) functions. Its production and exportation have a protracted positive impact on the economy, increases GDP, improves food security, and creates a source of livelihood. The study attempts to find out the value chain from harvesting ripe fruits to the packaging of processed butter, alongside the constraints of the process using secondary data. It was found that about 13 labor-intensive stages are involved in the transformation of raw Shea kernel to butter in two distinct phases. Semi-mechanized, bridge-press, or fully mechanized processing systems have been deployed for better quality performance, with semi-mechanized being preferred for adding more quality, reducing the fatigue and long man-hours involved. Areas of bedevilment include climate variability induced rainfall patterns and drought, seasonality of fruit development with over-exploitation, reduced plantation and planting, soil degradation, disease and pest infestation, adulteration during the refining of butter after extraction from the kernel. The value chain is threatened by inadequate orientation, improper storage facilities, and vulnerability to extinction due to conservation threat levels, stringent regulatory policies, and taxation, packaging deficiencies, especially for locals. Suffice to say that for an efficient value chain management, deployment of biotechnology for improved and more adaptive variety production, quality control, fair trades policy frameworks. It is recommended that regular training, financial support for redesigning and improving the efficiency of the machines by developing or upgrading new versions to increase output and enhance quality.
Shea kernel, processing, Shea butter, extraction, export, sales, value chain, constraints
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