Reducing Postharvest Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
73
Table 35: Mitigation of PHLs reported for fruits and vegetables and per step of processing.
Postharvest
step
Grapes Mangoes,
mangosteens,
guavas
Tomatoes Other fruits
Harvesting -  Instrument to
determine maturity
level and harvesting
aids
 Use of proper maturity indices
 Clean/sharp cutting tools
Gentle handling
 Improved field containers
Processing to secondary and
tertiary products
 Training on optimal
harvesting practices, i.e.
harvest before ripening,
handling - moving to
shade immediately
 Training on harvesting
techniques and follow
up
Storage  Basic
removal of
field heat
 Proper
packaging for
storage and
transport
 Low temperature
storage
 Use of zero energy cooling
chambers for primary storage
 Low-cost passive
cooling such as
evaporative coolers
 Good storage facility
with
temperature/humidity
control
Traders
handling and
sorting
 Domestic, by air
and by ship
transport require
different techniques
of handling and
packaging
 Farmers can form cooperatives
for loading tomatoes in trucks
from the north to the south of
the country (Nigeria)
 Sorting required
before storage
Transporting  Need to use
clean
refrigerated
trucks
 Use crop friendly
transport system
- -
Wholesaler and
retailer handling
 need
facilities to
receive, store
and distribute
product that
will maintain
the cold chain
-  Gentle handling and providing
shade required
 Moving product from
farm-gate to market
requires cold chain
refrigerated transport
Processing -  Lack of facilities
 we have developed
dried processing of
natural/organic
unripened/ripened
mango with
certification
(Pakistan)
 Training farmers on small
scale production of tomato
paste/puree is required because
the dried tomato is not well
accepted
-
Note: No comments were reported for banana, date, onion, watermelon, and pineapple
commodities
In order to reduce PHLs, solutions proposed are better ways to measure maturity indices,
training on harvesting practices (handling). During transport and storage, appropriate
packaging to reduce physical damage and cooling/refrigeration structures would help
preserve quality and reduced PHLs. Constraints to reducing PHLs for Fruits and vegetables in
OIC countries are reported i