Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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Early work to control minimise mycotoxins in the sorghum chain, found that treatment of
sorghum grain with sodium metabisulphite inhibited 95% of internal grain fungi, but also
significantly reduced germinability (Magan & Aldred, 2007; Raghunathan et al., 1969). The
biology and management of millet and sorghum insect pests has been the focus of several
research studies including Mvumi (2001), Sharma et al., (2007), Pushpamma et al., (1985),
FAO and INPhO, (1998).
Barley postharvest losses
Barley postharvest losses in industrialised countries are generally considered to be very low
(0.07-2.81%), (Smil, 2004a cited in Parfitt et al., 2010). Although the principle growing areas
are Europe and Russia, it is also a valuable and resilient crop in arid and semi-arid areas of
Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Mainly used as flour for human consumption, in animal
feed and as malt in alcoholic beverages.
Work in Turkey highlights concerns related to PH grain protectant pesticides (such as
Malathion and fenitrothion) metabolites entering the beer chain through the malted barley
(Uygun et al., 2007). Some of the metabolites are more toxic than the parent pesticide
compounds. The malting process was found to reduce the pesticide residue levels of barley
extensively.
The only OIC Member Country that APHLIS has data on barley PHL for is Uganda. In 2012, it
was estimated that barley PHL losses were 12.5% (~630 tonnes). For Eastern region, these
losses occurred mainly during harvesting/field drying (3.5%), threshing (3.5%), transport to
farm (2.5%), farm storage (0.3%), transport to market (1%), and market storage (2.7%).
2.2.2. Roots and Tubers
Introduction
Root and tuber crops (RTC), including cassava, sweet potato and yams are important to the
agriculture and food security of many countries and overall are a component of the diet for 2.2
billion people as well as contributing to animal feeds and industry. The annual world
production of root and tuber crops is about 765 million tonnes (MT) (FAOSTAT) consisting of
potatoes (333mt), cassava (237mt), sweet potatoes (130mt), yams (53mt), and taro and other
aroids (12mt). The global consumption of tropical root and tuber crops is around
110kg/capita/year. As such tropical root and tuber crops compare very favourably with the
main staple grain crops such as wheat and rice. Most of the potato production is consumed in
the developed countries whereas most of the cassava, sweet potatoes, yam, taro and other
aroids are consumed in the low to middle income countries (LMICs).
Despite their importance, however, investment in RTC has been much lower than in the cereal
crops. Root and Tuber Crops are important because they meet local food preferences,
providing an important part of the diet as they produce more edible energy per hectare per
day than any other crop groups, they play an important role in food security, nutrition and
climate change adaptation, they provide important sources of income through direct sale and
value-addition via processing for food and non-food uses. In this respect, the productivity of
root and tuber crops is often affected by the accumulation of pests and diseases which are
passed on through vegetative propagation. A further challenge is that compared to crops such
as wheat, rice and maize, root and tuber crops are bulky, have a high water content and a