Assess and Prioritize the Problems Related Postharvest Management of Horticultural Crops in Jimma Town, the Case of Bishishe Market

Abstract

A study was undertaken to identify the causes of the postharvest losses of horticultural crops along postharvest chain and set solutions for the identified and prioritized problems related with horticultural crop's management in Jimma town, the case of Bishishe market. In the first phase of the study a survey was carried out using random sample to collect information on the present system of postharvest handling of horticultural crops. The market management of horticultural crops were identifies by interview, questionnaires, and observation regarding to handling practice, hygienic condition of fruit handlers, problems related to transportation. The major stages of postharvest marketing sequence were identified and loss assessment was carried out at each stages followed by prioritizing the problems based on the loss assessment results. The survey result reveals that a major cause of postharvest loss of horticultural crops is mismanagement of commodities along postharvest system. Poor postharvest handling facilities and practices such as absence of sanitation, temperature management, uniformity of quality within containers, overfilling of containers and other quality and safety assurance problems were among the common causes for these observed losses. The second phase of this study was prioritizes the problems based on the loss assessment results obtained in phase one and intervene those problems.