Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
96
Table 46: Main causes, mitigation measures and extent of postharvest losses occurring along
the different sub-value chains
Location Fresh root
(own
consumption)
Gari Fufu
On-farm Causes of
losses
 Pests attack
 Diseases
 Excessive
rains/floods during
the rainy season
 During the dry
season the hard soil
structure causes
breakage of the
roots at harvest
 Poor handling
 Pests attack
 Diseases
 Excessive rains/floods
during the rainy season
 During the dry season the
hard soil structure causes
breakage of the roots at
harvest
 High cost of transport and
non-availability of vehicles
at village level causing
delays
 Poor handling
 Pests attack
 Diseases
 Excessive rains/floods during the
rainy season
 During the dry season the hard soil
structure causes breakage of the roots
at harvest
 High cost of transport and non-
availability of vehicles at village level
causing delays
 Poor handling
Mitigation
measures
 Planting of disease
resistant varieties
 Main harvest
during the rainy
season when the soil
is moist
 Roots harvested
by the subsistence
farmers themselves
(careful harvesting)
 Roots harvested
when immediate
need of the
household
 Roots handled
gently to minimize
bruising and
breaking of the skin
during harvesting
 Planting of disease
resistant varieties
 Main harvest during the
rainy season when the soil
is moist
 Most roots harvested by
the subsistence farmers
themselves (careful
harvesting)
 Commercial farmers and
traders hire experiences
harvesters
 Farmers supervising
harvesters
 Roots handled gently to
minimize bruising and
breaking of the skin during
harvesting
 Delayed harvest if
unavailability or immediate
buyer
 Farmers associations
collectively hiring vehicles
for transportation
 Planting of disease resistant
varieties
 Main harvest during the rainy
season when the soil is moist
 Most roots harvested by the
subsistence farmers themselves
(careful harvesting)
 Commercial farmers and traders
hire experiences harvesters
 Farmers supervising harvesters
 Roots handled gently to minimize
bruising and breaking of the skin
during harvesting
 Delayed harvest if unavailability or
immediate buyer
 Farmers associations collectively
hiring vehicles for transportation
Extent of
losses
 Negligible physical
losses
 No economic
losses (everything
used at household
level)
 Some physical losses
(1%)
 Economic losses affecting
10% to 20% of roots
 Some physical losses (1%)
 Economic losses affecting 10% to
20% of roots
Trading,
transport
and
handling
Causes of
losses
-  Poor state of roads
 Delays in transport
 Poor handling
 Poor state of roads
 Delays in transport
 Poor handling
Mitigation
measures
-  Roots handled gently to
minimize bruising and
breaking of the skin during
loading and off-loading
 Supervision during
loading and off-loading
 Farmers associations
collectively hiring vehicles
for transportation
 Vertical integration: some
collectors are rural women
 Roots handled gently to minimize
bruising and breaking of the skin
during loading and off-loading
 Supervision during loading and off-
loading
 Farmers associations collectively
hiring vehicles for transportation
 Vertical integration: some collectors
are rural women involved in wet fufu
processing
 Horizontal coordination: presence