Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
62
Postharvest
step
Maize Rice Sorghum
Secondary
processing
(e.g. milling,
oil
extraction)
Poor hygiene at and maintenance of processing unit
results in cross-infestation and contamination Poor
maintenance of equipment resulting in low
percentage out-turn and/or contamination
Power outages can affect operations
Removal of bran leads to reduced nutritional value
of grain
Poor maintenance of
equipment resulting in
low percentage out-turn
and/or contamination
-
Utilisation/
consumption
Unauthorised sales or use by an individual in the
household
Weak food safety knowledge leading to consumption
of contaminated food
Poor stacking and closing
of containers leading to
spillages, dampness,
rancidity, infestation etc.
-
Other causes Weak food safety knowledge Weak food safety
knowledge
Weak food
safety
knowledge
Postharvest losses in cereals were reported to be caused by a variety of factors. At different
steps of the value chains there are different causes but the general causes of loss are similar for
maize, rice, and sorghum. Some major factors of losses are cited consistently throughout the
value chain: these are contamination of grains – either by insects, rodents, extraneous matter
such as small stones, humidity too high in the grains (due to problems of drying and
maintenance under dry conditions during transport and storage), and management issues. A
lack of food safety knowledge is also reported and would be responsible for a lack of
management of the commodity in the value chain and also quality problems (contamination,
humidity) in the cereal products. Some ways suggested to mitigate PHLs were reported in
Table 23.
Table 23: Mitigation of PHLs reported for cereals and per step of postharves t
Postharvest
step
Maize Rice Sorghum
Harvest
Training on technical harvesting; i.e. the products
should not put directly on the ground while
harvesting (use appropriate cover foil)
Use of simple harvesting equipment as well as strict
supervision to ensure that the quantity of crop lost in
the field is reduced
Availability of non-
shattering rice
varieties;
organization of
workers for manual
harvesting
improved
mechanisation
-
Drying
Biomass dryers, Solarisation, Drying on stabilised
ground and tarpaulins
Research usability of wind dryers from coastal
regions, which could be used to prevent damage due
to unseasonal rains in dry zones
Use of plastic sheets so drying grains not in contact
with soil, greater understanding of importance of dry
grains for long term storage and food safety
improved
mechanisation -
Threshing/
shelling
Hand shelling tools
Lack of investment in threshing equipment
Mechanised threshers and shellers
Promotion of simple manual techniques for shelling,
and awareness raising about the risk of storing any
damaged grains, so that farmers sort grain and
remove damaged grains. Simple threshing apparatus
(e.g. hand shellers, cheap motorised shellers for
cooperatives)
Use of shelling machine
Improved
mechanisation
Mechanization of
harvesting and
threshing operations
Adoption of
improved
threshers by small
groups