Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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the trader and the farmer can agree on the price. Those not taken are already ripe; they are left
on farm for consumption.
There are long delays between the time of harvesting and the sale at farm gate. After harvesting,
the produce is not cooled at all. In this study, the temperatures in those stacks of bunches are
quite high as they are placed near the loading site, with little regard for shade. The bananas are
kept outdoors until the trader arrives for pickup. This can take two days. If the produce is in the
open, farmers put old banana leaves over the heap to prevent direct sunshine from burning the
produce.
Figure 3.16: Rough Handling during Harvest Causes Splits; Ripened Bananas Left On-Farm
Source: On-Farm Visits
3.6.4. Measures and Strategies Implemented for On-Farm Loss Reduction in Uganda
The Presidential Initiative in Banana Development (PIBD) has the goal is to add value to
bananas, making flour and other products from the crop to increase shelf life. Research
institutions like the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) research and release
varieties to the public domain. They also research diseases and bring control and preventive
measures. NAADS, the National Agricultural Advisory Services, dispenses researched varieties
and all the technologies to the public.
Clean planting materials are available from certified tissue culture centers, but some farmers
cannot afford these so they get materials from established plantations. This is not a
recommended practice as it could spread Banana Bacteria Wilt (BBW). BBW almost destroyed
bananas in Uganda in the early 21 st century, but government attention prevented this from
happening. Although it is still in some areas, most farmers are aware of how to handle it.
Generally, BBW is very destructive with incidence of 70-80%, and in many plantations causing
yield losses of 90%. Parasitic nematodes reduce yields in bananas and plantain crops by 12.3%.
BMGF has made a $1 million investment in nematode control and their partners will be field
testing the technologies in East Africa during 2016.
3.6.5. Lessons Learned from the Case Study
Several lessons can be learned from the on-farm observations of banana and plantain harvest
and handling in Uganda. Rough handling and dropping of bunches during harvesting and