Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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this will be critical for countries suffering from nutrition deficiency, particularly calories and
vitamins.
Selected key finding
Key findings are summarised below. We have clustered these into findings related to
postharvest research and findings that are specific to the commodities studied. We also
consider some of the over-arching themes that emerged from the analysis and highlight some
solutions and best practice.
Postharvest research specific
Research on postharvest losses is sparse and geographically scattered. Some commodities
have a greater coverage than others (e.g. artisanal fisheries and maize are far more researched
that cattle or bananas). Some OIC Member Countries and regions have seen much more
postharvest loss research and practice than others (e.g., Africa Group has seen a good amount
of activities in some commodities, Asian and Arab Groups, with some notable exceptions, has
seen very little research and analysis). Perversely, it would seem that more research is
available in lower income countries than in higher income countries. This may indicate that
donors have been driving postharvest loss research in these countries.
The range of losses experience across the literature varies substantially. Irshad and Baloch
(1985) for example, found storage losses of weight for wheat in Pakistan varied from 3.5% to
25%. If all postharvest stages have the same degree of variability, this explains the high level
of uncertainty and scepticism about total postharvest loss statistics.
Commodity specific
Grains
Particular challenges with drying and storage, especially related to pests in store. Small grains
(e.g., sorghum and millet) often have lower postharvest losses than larger grains (e.g., wheat
and maize). Drying and storage were considered to be the most likely postharvest loss points
in the value chains for grains.
Examples of innovations that seem to be having some impact included: improved dryers,
mechanised threshing and shelling, training, improved on-farm stores and use of hermetic
storage bags and sell as collective marketing by farmers.
Roots and tubers
Very little is known about postharvest losses in the growing Irish potato sector, but losses
seem to be high, particularly in Africa. Cassava, which is highly perishable, has very high
losses, particularly in countries where infrastructure to get product from field to factory is
inadequate (e.g., Nigeria). Losses seem to be high for other root crops such as sweet potato
and yams, but research is very limited.
Peeling (cassava), storage (yams) and marketing (sweet potato) were the highest postharvest
loss elements reported by experts. Starch degradation during storage and transport is known
to be high for cassava, but was not reported in the survey.
Improved infrastructure, more efficient delivery of roots and tubers to processing points, as
well as simpler small scale drying were all innovations that were considered good practice
examples for roots and tubers.