Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
72
Postharvest
step
Grapes Mangoes,
mangosteens,
guavas
Onions Tomatoes Watermelons Other fruits
Transporting  Poor
infrastructure
(roads), heat and
transport
breakdowns;
physical damage:
lack of
refrigerated
transport, poor
packaging, and
infrastructure
 Poor
infrastructure
(roads), heat and
transport
breakdowns;
physical damage
 Senescence
accelerated
ripening
 No referred
transportation
 Payments at
police and
customs
checkpoints
(Tajikistan)
 Poor
infrastructure
(roads), heat and
transport
breakdowns;
physical damage
 Poor
packaging
 method
coupled with
overloading of
produce and use
of
unappropriated
vehicles such as
fuel takers
 Poor
infrastructure
(roads), heat and
transport
breakdowns;
physical damage
 Growing of
highly
perishable
varieties;
physical damage
 Poor
infrastructure
(roads), heat and
transport
breakdowns;
physical damage
 Poor
packaging
and/or
overfilling of
containers;
physical damage
Wholesaler
and retailer
handling
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
 improper
handling even
with cold
storage
 Poor retail
packaging from
bulk pack
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
 No access to
cool storage
leads to shorter
shelf-life
Processing  Too high
temperature
prior to, during
and after
processing
 Inadequate
processing (e.g.
drying)
producing low
quality products
 Lack of
constant supply
of fresh fruit or
vegetable to
optimise
equipment use
 Non-
professional
approach and
inadequate
facilities
 Lack of
constant supply
of fresh fruit or
vegetable to
optimise
equipment use
 Inadequate
processing (e.g.
drying)
producing low
quality products
 Lack of
constant supply
of fresh fruit or
vegetable to
optimise
equipment use
 Lack of
constant supply
of fresh fruit or
vegetable to
optimise
equipment use
 High pesticide
residual levels
and other
contaminants on
products leading
to possible
market bans
 Inadequate
processing (e.g.
drying)
producing low
quality products
 No processing
facilities
Physical damage during handing (shocks), inadequate temperature (too high) during
transportation or storage were cited as the main causes for losses independently of the fruit or
vegetable commodity. With regards to the processing step, the lack of constant supply of fresh
fruit and vegetable is a hindrance and also inadequate processing that produces products of
too low quality and hence reduces the marketability of those. Ways of mitigate losses were
reported by the respondents i