Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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viewed as beneficial. Enhancement of experience of traders was said to positively affect sector
development.
In Tajikistan losses lead to higher food prices. The people primarily impacted by postharvest
loss are the "dehkan" farms (small and medium-sized peasant farms) which lose revenue on
product spoiled during pre-market transit, processing and storage, as well as consumers, who
find the supply of local produce significantly reduced in winter months due to lack of proper
long-term storage facilities. Lack of reliable government-collected and maintained data
remains a significant challenge. The first step to addressing any deficit is to analyse data and
make recommendations to policy makers and private sector players. Reliable postharvest loss
data was not found ( US Department of State, 2013).
Beans, green (string) (Guyana)
Courtbaoui and Ngadi (2016) used two different approaches to characterise the postharvest
practices and losses of tomato, string beans, eggplant, okra and cucumber for Guyana and St.
Kitts-Nevis: (1) producer household surveys and (2) modified count and weight. Farmers sell
most of their harvested crops to local markets, keeping the remaining crops for household
consumption. In Guyana, the majority of farmers (97%) reported selling their crops at harvest,
while in St. Kitts-Nevis, 61% of farmers stored their produces before selling. Farmers in St.
Kitts-Nevis reported 30% postharvest losses of crops due to spoilage, while those in Guyana
reported considerably less. Results from modified count and weight method revealed that
small producers experienced greater postharvest loss compared to large ones due to spoilage
and lack of market access. A reasonable explanation to this is the degree of knowledge in high-
value crop production between the two types of farmers. As the produce travelled throughout
the supply chain, it started to lose significantly (P < 0.05) its freshness and its marketable value
as well. At the marketing level, small and large retailers in both countries experienced
substantial postharvest quantitative and qualitative losses. These losses were due to
inappropriate handling and exposure to undesirable environmental conditions. Full text not
available.
Cucumbers and gherkins (Oman)
Research has been undertaken (Al-Sadi et al., 2011) to characterise and manage pathogens
associated with fruit rot of immature cucumber fruits in greenhouses. Fruit rot of cucumber
was found to be prevalent in 92% of greenhouses, resulting in losses of 10 to 60% (average
loss of 33%) of immature fruits per plant
Onions, dry (Niger, Senegal, Sudan)
The onion sector is one of Niger’s most profitable agricultural activities and considered a
lucrative income-generating activity for rural and urban women (Yachaou and Zhihong,
undated). However, lack of access to suitable storage facilities means that producers have to
sell their produce straight after harvest and this can contribute to crop and income losses from
dramatic price falls. The harvesting and packaging techniques are highlighted as being
unsuitable with 100 to 120 kilogrammes packed in one jute bag that results in produce
damage and loss. The poor status of the roads make market access more difficult and raises the
transport element of the selling cost.
Plantains (Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Uganda)
Plantains are popular and versatile staple, providing a significant portion of the calories and
nutrition in West Africa. Cauthen et al. (2013) identified rough handling, unprotected storage
conditions, and poor transportation as leading to postproduction losses of 30-40% in West
Africa plantain trading. The use of plastic containers and cooler storage conditions can
increase the shelf life of crops to 14-27 days.