Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
4
Oilseeds and pulses
Research into postharvest losses for oilseed and pulses is very patchy, particularly where the
commodity does not get processed or enter export markets (e.g., common beans and cowpeas
in Africa).
For most pulses and grain legumes, all the recommendations that apply to grains are common
to this commodity group.
The highest reported losses for oilseeds and pulses are in storage (30-60%), largely due to the
impact of storage pests. Project to improve stores and storage for this commodity group are
not common, but are clearly needed.
Quality and contamination issues are particularly important in the oilseed sector. Application
of standards, training, collective marketing and incentives for quality can help address these
issues, especially where production is predominately by small-holder farmers.
Fruit and vegetables
High perishability and ease of damage means that postharvest losses in this commodity group
can be high. However, the emergence of new types of markets (e.g., supermarkets) and
relatively high value mitigates these losses to some extent.
It was noticeable that some groups of fruit and vegetables have received much more research
attention on postharvest losses than others. For example, tomatoes and mangoes are well
researched, whereas many fruit and vegetables in the Arab Group of countries have not been
well researched, e.g., dates.
Where formal markets with high quality standards exists (e.g. Turkey for green beans, Albania
for watermelons) postharvest losses are reduced by standard and high quality postharvest
practices.
Fruit and vegetables were reported by survey respondents to be particularly susceptible to
storage and transport damage. Improved handling and packaging as well as investment in cold
chain infrastructure can have an important impact on this postharvest loss.
Processed tomatoes in Bangladesh are a good example of using price incentives to improve
quality and reduce postharvest losses and targeting medium to large sized fruit and vegetable
processing firms as drivers of improved practice.
Meat and meat products
To date, the focus of research into postharvest losses for meat and meat products has been on
the external or environmental impacts. Very little research exists in any livestock sub-sector
on postharvest losses, especially in the small-holder sectors.
Strategies to address meat by-products such as offal, skins and blood, are commonly absent
across OIC Member Countries. A high proportion of postharvest loss in this sector could be
addressed with strategic investment in these areas.
High transport losses for live animals are often a factor of distance to market or slaughter.
Post-slaughter, the absence of infrastructure including adequate cold chains was consider to
be the crucial factor in reducing postharvest losses, after under-utilisation of by-products is
taken into account.
The meat sector case study highlighted some special postharvest issues, especially the lack of
standard sale terms in the sector (whole animals are sold), the common sale of under-weight