Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
105
The share of processed tomatoes has been estimated at 5% of total production according to a
USAID value chain study (USAID, 2014) although some stakeholders interviewed for this case
study felt that this was likely to be higher. The USAID study found this to be the fastest growing
market segment, with growth around 30% per year. Tomatoes are mainly processed into
tomato paste, sauces and ketchup. Tomato paste is an intermediate product used to make
tomato sauces and ketchup. Tomato paste processors procure fresh tomatoes, often via
contract farming arrangements, and sell tomato paste to sauce manufacturing companies.
PRAN Ltd, the largest food processor, has some 1,000 contact tomato growers in Rajshahi from
which it purchases tomatoes, although it also buys on the local market, and a tomato
processing plant in Natore district, two to three hours’ drive from the tomato growing areas.
Other processors have contract farming arrangements in which seed, fertiliser and specialist
extension services are provided to farmers.
Several tomato varieties, more suited to processing having thicker skins, less easily damaged
and taking on a red colour quickly, are available. These include Syngenta’s Shobol variety.
PRAN contract growers grow Mintu Super, a Lal Teer seed company variety and Salamat, a
variety supplied by Energy Pac Agro Ltd, another Bangladesh seed and agro-product supply
company. Both varieties have a longer shelf life and are high yielding.
4.4.2. Assessment of Postharvest Losses & Economic Burden
A number of studies of postharvest losses have been attempted in the past decade. Prior to
that it was noted (Hassan et al., 2010:118) that “Reliable data on the magnitude of postharvest
losses fruits and vegetables in Bangladesh are meagre”. However, tomato postharvest losses
are considered the highest of any fruit or vegetable by the Hortex Foundation (government
organisation responsible for promotion and development of high value fresh and processed
agricultural products). The results (Table 48) show some variation in losses and the
methodology used in most of the references are not clearly laid out. Only two reports attempt
to add a monetary value to the losses and these are based on data in 2008 and 2009-10. In
2008, Hassan et al. (2010) estimated a Tk605 million at an average farm gate price (based on
75 farmers) and Tk780 million at an average retail price, based on 100 retail traders. These
values equate to around US$9 million at the farm gate price and US$11.6 million at the retail
price. In 2009-10, Khatun et al. (2014) estimated the national economic loss at Tk523 million,
which equate to around US$7.7 million.