An in-depth scoping survey was conducted on 248 smallholder farmers producing groundnut in Malawi to
delineate the constraints in production, especially on-farm post-harvest operations, while revealing various
aspects in the status of production and consumption practices. The insightful outcomes included the
farmers’ perception of the post-harvest operations as highly labor demanding, being the major obstacle to
production expansion for the lucrative and nutritious crop. In particular, shelling, lifting, and stripping were
the top three processes of remarkable labor intensity. The respondents expressed the intention for scale-up
as long as the labor constraints were mitigated, with expected welfare gain through increased income,
improved nutrition, and reduced aflatoxin contamination, as well as mitigated drudgery for women.