Abstract
Current practices used in the cultivation, harvesting, handling, transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables in Nigeria have resulted in vast losses especially due to the seasonality and perishability of these produce, with the resulting situation being that there are times when there are excess produce, which are wasted in most cases due to the fact that the excess are not being processed or stored properly, and times of scarcity when people hardly have enough produce. It is obvious that there are a lot of inherent problems involved in the way and manner in which these produce are being handled. The purpose of this paper is to use Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints and Thinking Process, which has been used in many cases, to improve performance and resolve problems in many business processes, to identify the core problem responsible for these losses and wastage with a view to generate useful information necessary to seek ways in which to improve the current situation and minimize the current losses being encountered which would be beneficial to the grower, traders, consumers and ultimately the Nigerian economy.
Highlights
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in West Africa and is estimated to be the most populous country in Africa with an estimated population of 155,215,573 inhabitants (July 2011CIA World fact book.)Geographically Nigeria is located between longitude 4° and 14°N and latitude 2° and 14°E, making it a country with a tropical climate type where seasons are damp and very humid
Current practices used in the cultivation, harvesting, handling, transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables in Nigeria have resulted in vast losses especially due to the seasonality and perishability of these produce, with the resulting situation being that there are times when there are excess produce, which are wasted in most cases due to the fact that the excess are not being processed or stored properly, and times of scarcity when people hardly have enough produce
The purpose of this paper is to use Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints and Thinking Process, which has been used in many cases, to improve performance and resolve problems in many business processes, to identify the core problem responsible for these losses and wastage with a view to generate useful information necessary to seek ways in which to improve the current situation and minimize the current losses being encountered which would be beneficial to the grower, traders, consumers and the Nigerian economy
Summary
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in West Africa and is estimated to be the most populous country in Africa with an estimated population of 155,215,573 inhabitants (July 2011CIA World fact book.). If period of excess produce exist and there is lack of exposure to modern farming technology by producers, wholesaler and retailers in the industry and outdated/inadequate propagation, transportation, processing and preservation techniques are used, there can be significant post-harvest losses. If Period of consistent produce would exist and producers, wholesaler, retailers in the industry would be exposed to modern technology and modern propagation, transportation, processing and preservation techniques would be used, Post-harvest losses would be significantly reduced. If traders would be able to generate a higher income with reasonable profits there would be a positive impact on economy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of African Research in Business & Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
