Review the Extent and Cause of Post Harvest Loss of Fruits and Vegetables in Ethiopia

Abstract

Horticulture is an important sector for economic development and contributes to increased food security and improves the populations’ nutrition intake. Horticultural crop production (Fruits and vegetables) is the major farming system in Ethiopia and farmers have willingness to increase the production and productivity of the crops even if it faces many challenges. Post-harvest loss of fruit and vegetable is a matter of great economic concern in agriculture. The post-harvest systems covers the period that runs from exit from the field to the time of consumption.Post-harvest loss is a global problem but it is more critical in developing countries. Post-harvest losses can be measured both by quality and quantity losses. The major causes of postharvest losses can be classified into direct /primary (technical origin) and indirect /secondary (socio economic origin) factors. The extent of post-harvest losses may vary greatly among commodities, production areas, season of production, ways of handling, management practices and economic status of the country. Higher postharvest losses not only reduce the availability of fruits but also result in increase in per unit prices of the produce and thus limit the accessibility by the majority of community segments. Postharvest loss as going beyond the loss of the actual crop to include loss in the environment, resources, labor needed to produce the crop and livelihood of the individual involved in the production process. Currently there are limited literatures to review on the cause and extent of postharvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia due to lack of research works in the sector. Although, it is possible to estimate such losses of perishables horticultural commodity based on the annual production data of central statistics agency (CSA) and food and agricultural organization of the country (FAO). It is too early to reach a conclusive recommendation since limited study were conducted in the cause and extent of post harvest loss of horticultural crops. Hence, further studies must be done to tackle the cause of post harvest loss of horticultural crops and minimized the extent of post harvest losses. Keywords: Post harvest loss, cause, extent DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-13-01 Publication date: July 31 st 2021