Bulk Handling Research Articles

Assessment of the cold storage capacity used in bulk handling of perishable agricultural produce in Ugandan cities

Investment in the food cold chain has been reportedly identified as a solution to extensive postharvest losses worldwide. However, cold chain investment in the Ugandan food value chain is largely unknown. This study located, characterised, and determined the efficacy of bulk cold storage facilities used in handling perishable agricultural food produce in the 16 city districts of Uganda. Only 9/16 city districts had bulk cold storage facilities, translating to a cold storage capacity of 4.5 m3 per 1,000 inhabitants. The private sector owned the highest proportion by volume (90.3%) of these facilities with the highest volume used for handling multiple perishable products (11,590 m3). Generally, temperature varied significantly from the respective set points in the facilities. Variations were observed for between 1/3 to 3/4 of the logged period above maximum allowable storage temperatures for the different products, showing efficacy lapses. These results indicate investment and management gaps and opportunities in this indelible sector in food value chain by both government and private sector players.

Dimensionless Number Group Analysis of Surface-Treated Powders

Modeling powder properties remains a complex and difficult area of study because particulate materials can behave differently under variable conditions based on their bulk and surface-level properties. The research presented in this manuscript was designed to support the fundamental understanding of powder systems by joining experimental and theoretical calculations of dimensionless numbers groups for design purposes. In order to do so, this work focused on two critical variables to better understand fluidization design: physical and chemical surface properties. To better resolve the influence of surface properties, surface-treated powders were used. Five different powder samples of varying particle size distribution were characterized using physical property measurements, including pressure drop profiles to obtain the minimum fluidization velocity, density measurements, and particle sizing. Using theoretical equations, the minimum fluidization velocity was also calculated to compare with those obtained experimentally and determine typical dimensionless number groups used in bulk handling system design. The results showed that the theoretically determined values were lower than those calculated using the experimentally umf. In the case of the Reynolds number, the experimental values were 3–20% higher than the theoretical values, which is an important distinction for designing conveying systems and pipeline flow. Similar results were observed for the theoretical and experimental Froude numbers, indicating an important dependence on the cohesive properties of the particle interactions. Additional dimensionless number groups were considered, including the granular bond number and flow factors. To investigate the influence of surface forces, Hamaker constants were utilized for alumina and polydimethylsiloxane in the calculation of the granular bond number. A lower granular bond was observed with a decrease in the Hamaker constant for PDMS, suggesting that the surface forces would be lower for our surface-treated powders.

Studies on some engineering properties of dried egg powder reference to its bulk handling

Abstract This study investigated some physicochemical and engineering properties of dried egg powder concerning to its bulk handling with the view to promote its usage. The egg was deshelled to have whole egg, egg white and yolk; oven-dried in convective air at 60 °C (± 1 °C), milled and screened with a sieve size with a mesh size of 500 µm. The physicochemical and engineering properties analyses were carried out using standard procedures. The moisture contents ranged from 2.64 to 2.69%, loose and packed bulk densities ranged between 0.45 g/ml and 0.66g/ml (loose), 0.57 g/ml and 0.71g/ml, (packed). The least gelation concentration (LGC) of egg white and whole egg powder occurred at 10%, and, 12% respectively with egg yolk having poor LGC. The density ratio of egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder were 92%, 76% and 77%, respectively. Egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder samples had 7.80, 23.43 and 22.12% porosity, respectively The foaming stability of egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder are 25.05, 28.41 and 26.01, respectively Similarly, the Carr index and Hausner ratio of dried egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder are 24.48, 7.29 and 22.80; 1.18, 1.35 and 1.32, respectively indicating the egg powder samples were free-flowing. The emulsifying activity index of egg white, whole egg and dried egg powder are 3.84, 1.78 and 5.96, respectively while emulsifying stability index of the same samples are 503.30, 57.83 and 37.87, respectively. The colour intensity determined for egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder was 61.75, 41,15 and 52.45, respectively Also, the thermal properties of the samples measured using differential scanning calorimeter ranged between 79.3 ⁰C - 92.8 ⁰C, 106.4 ⁰C - 121.2 ⁰C, 106.2 ⁰C - 122.8 ⁰C, 56.75 J/g - 278.6 J/g, 21.4 ⁰C - 94.743.5 ⁰C, 10.95 J/(gK) - 20.28 J/(gK), 0.50 w/m⁰C - 0.70 5 w/m⁰C, and 0.090 m2/s - 0.094 m2/s for onset temperature, peak temperature, end temperature, enthalpy, temperature range, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity respectively. The study therefore, provides engineering data about process design, control and bulk handling to extend the usage of dried egg powder samples in food process industries.

Discrete Element Modelling of a Bulk Cohesive Material Discharging from a Conveyor Belt onto an Impact Plate

The discrete element method (DEM) has become the numerical method of choice for analysing and predicting the behaviour of granular materials in bulk handling systems. Wet-and-sticky materials (WSM) are especially problematic, resulting in build-up and blockages. Furthermore, due to the large number of particles in industrial-scale applications, it is essential to decrease the number of particles in the model by increasing their size (upscaling or coarse graining). In this study, the accuracy with which upscaled DEM particles can model the discharge of a cohesive material from a belt conveyor onto an inclined impact plate was investigated. Experimentally, three sand grades (particle size distributions, PSDs) were used, each in a dry (non-cohesive) state and with three levels of moisture-induced cohesion. The effects of the modelled PSDs on the material flow, build-up on the plate, the peak impact force and the residual weight were investigated. Although a linear cohesion contact model was mostly used, the results were also compared to that of the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts (JKR) and simplified JKR (SJKR) models. It was found that the general profile of the pile (build-up) could be accurately modelled, but using a more accurate (but still upscaled) PSD improved the results. The impact force and the residual weight on the plate could be accurately modelled (error <15%) if the particle size was not excessively scaled. The maximum acceptable scaling factor was found to be a geometric factor of the bulk measure of interest, and not a factor of the physical particle size. Furthermore, with an increase in cohesion, the bulk measures such as the thickness of the discharge stream and the height of the material build-up increased, which meant that the maximum acceptable scale factor also increased. The results are valuable for future accurate and efficient modelling of large industrial scale applications of WSMs.

Real‐time detection of Fusarium infection in moving corn grains using YOLOv5 object detection algorithm

AbstractReal‐time inspection and removal of individual Fusarium head blight (FHB) infected corn grains from the processing lines has been a challenging issue due to the bulk handling and smaller kernel size. In this study, four different variants (small(s), medium(m), nano(n), and large(l)) of You Only Look Once (YOLO) version 5 object detection technique were trained for the detection of Fusarium infection in a moving monolayer of touching and non‐touching corn grains. The YOLOv5 object detection models were evaluated for their performance in detecting FHB infection in individual corn grains. A heterogeneous dataset containing images and video frames of healthy and FHB infected corn grains in different illuminations was utilized. The mean average precision calculated at Intersection over Union threshold of .5 (mAP@50) was 99%, 98%, 95%, and 96% for YOLOv5‐s, YOLOv5‐m, YOLOv5‐n, and YOLOv5‐l models, respectively. The detection speed in videos was 3.9, 1.6, 9.8, and .8 frames per second for YOLOv5‐s, m, n, and l models, respectively. For non‐touching grains, all four variants of the YOLOv5 model showed 100% precision, but for touching grains, all variants showed false negatives in detection of FHB infection, especially on overlapping kernels. The recall values were found to be 98%, 99%, 96%, and 97% for YOLOv5‐s, m, n, and l models, respectively. The best combination of mAP, detection speed, and lower false negatives was achieved by the YOLOv5‐m model. YOLOv5‐m has the potential for use in real‐time detection of Fusarium infection in corn grains apart from lag time in videos.Practical ApplicationThe developed video analysis technique based on YOLOv5 object detection method will be beneficial for the accurate identification of Fusarium infected corn grains in bulk handling facilities. The individual FHB infected grains could be detected on processing lines and could be used for real‐time inspection replacing the random sampling techniques currently used, thereby preventing the entry of Fusarium mycotoxins in the food chain. For non touching corn grains, all the YOLOv5 model variants showed a 100% precision in identifying the healthy and FHB infected grains. For touching grains, YOLOv5‐m model showed the best combination of mAP, detection speed, and lower false negatives proving appropriate for inspection on moving conveyor belts. The nano model with the lightweight architecture installed in portable devices can be used for immediate detection of FHB infection without lag time.

Treatment of human waste in small-scale facilities: a prospective review

A sustainable approach to the small-scale treatment of portable toilet and septic tank waste is in need to minimise the associated public health and environmental risks. Treatment of human wastes is highly regulated by legislation in many countries given the high content of organic components and pathogens. In conventional wastewater treatment plants, sewage undergoes a series of treatment stages (primary, secondary and tertiary) before effluent discharge. Delivering this approach on a small scale, to meet demands of temporary events, public gatherings or remote locations provides benefits in reducing transport and bulk handling. For a small-scale treatment process to effectively work, the process steps need to be simplified and minimised. The potential of a new treatment scheme is reviewed where the first step is the solid–liquid fraction separation, followed by anaerobic digestion (AD) of the solid fraction, including energy recovery in a combined heat and power unit. The liquid fraction undergoes a series of filtration and disinfection steps to comply with effluent regulations. Digestate from AD is burned on site to provide local domestic/office heating. This has a great potential for application in different locations where inputs may be sporadic, such as outdoor festivals, disaster response scenarios and construction sites.

Effect of Moisture Content on Frictional Properties of Some Selected Grains in Indonesia

The frictional property of grains is one of the most important engineering parameters in developing solid bulk handling of grains. It is necessary for designing agricultural facilities and production process activities. These properties are expressed as internal friction angle (φ) and wall friction angle (θ), which are known to be affected by the moisture content of the grains. This research investigates the effect of moisture content on the values of φ and θ of some selected grains. In the research, some indigenous Indonesian grain types, including rough rice, white rice, corn, soybean, and coffee, each in three varieties and three level of moisture contents, were used as the research samples. Those angles were measured using a self-constructed direct shear cell apparatus. Three different normal loads for each grain type were used with three replications. It is concluded that φ and θ of the tested grains increase with moisture contents with different trends of increments. The relationship of those angles with moisture contents can be expressed as linear regression equations. The slope of the regression lines for both φ and θ is significantly affected by grain type (p<0.05). For φ, coffee (Excelsa) is the most susceptible to the change in moisture content, while dent corn (Hibrida) is the least affected one. For θ, soybean (Galunggung) is the most susceptible to the change in moisture content, while rough rice (Mapan 5) is the least affected one.

Inžinjerske osobine semena Dioclea reflexa (Hook. F.) relevantne za upotrebu mašine kod zapreminske prerade

Interest is growing in the utilization of fringe plant materials such as Dioclea reflexa seed to cater for the need of growing global population. It has demonstrated potentials for a wider use as human food, and as industrial raw material. This research focused on determines the engineering properties of the seed that will be useful in the design or selection of industrial machinery for its processing and bulk handling. Four types of tests were carried out on the seeds: geometric, gravimetric, frictional and mechanical tests. Results revealed that the seed's mean geometric diameter was 25.84mm at 5.60 % (w.b.) moisture content. The individual seed average mass, true density and bulk density were 7.76g, 948.5kg.m-3 and 558.5kg. /m3 respectively. Among the surfaces tested, glass has the lowest coefficient of friction (0.221) while wood has the highest (0.424). Seed orientation during compression test has effect on fracture force, deformation, toughness as well as energy absorbed. Variation of mechanical properties along axes of orientation in quasi-static compression of the seeds showed that major axis has the highest mean fracture force, mean deformation to fracture, and mean fracture energy at 1.38kN, 3.05mm and 2.10J respectively. However, the axis with the highest strength is the minor axis at 1.01kNmm-1 . From energy efficiency point of view, when designing machine for cracking the seeds, provision must be made for the seeds to be oriented in such a way that the applied cracking force will impact the seeds along their major axis.

Experimental Platform Design for Particle Behavior Investigation

The hopper is a kind of important equipment in bulk handling process. In this paper, an experimental platform was designed. The experimental platform was mainly composed of a feeding head, a vertical conveying screw machine, a horizontal conveying screw and a lifting device, a supporting structure, the visual experimental system,the electrical system and the acquisition system. the particle behavior for hoppers can be assessed by the experimental platform. And the visual experimental system will help to investigate the real particle flow behavior and will provide instructions for hopper design in future

Influence of micro- and nano-bubble treatment on morphological characteristics and flow properties of spray-dried milk protein concentrate powders

This study investigated the morphological and bulk handling properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC) powders manufactured from incorporating micro- and nano-bubbles (MNB) before spray drying. Control MPC powders (C-MPC; no MNB treatment) and MNB-treated MPC powders (MNB-MPC; MPC dispersions passed through the MNB system and subsequently spray dried) were characterized in terms of particle size, shape factors, stability, variable flow rate, shear cell tests, compressibility, and wall friction. The MPC powders produced after the MNB injection process had better flowability and lower basic flow energy. Shear tests showed that C-MPC powders were more cohesive than MNB-MPC powders. The MNB-MPC powders had lower flow rate index values, lower wall friction angles, more rounded shape, and significant differences in powder compressibility compared with C-MPC powders. Overall, the results demonstrated that MNB incorporation during spray drying can produce ingredients with comparable morphological characteristics while improving the bulk powder properties.

Assessment of freight traffic flows and harmful emissions in euro-mediterranean context: scenario analyses based on a gravity model

Maritime transport contributes significantly to environmental pollution. The Mediterranean Sea Area is particularly affected by marine emissions from particulate matter, black carbon, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. In addition to international and crossing traffic, the Mediterranean Sea is affected by the freight flows moved between its shores (in the North–South direction and vice versa), but also by transverse freight flows (East–West); these are freights transported through Short Sea Shipping. The Mediterranean Sea is the area where there is the highest concentration of short sea shipping in the EU-27. There are different types of Short Sea transport: container and bulk handling, general cargo ships and Ro-Ro transport. In such scenario, the analysis of trade flows as well as their spatial and geographical distribution, becomes fundamental. The paper proposes a gravity model for estimating trade flows, considering 18 countries boarding the Euro-Mediterranean Sea, in 2019. The proposed gravity model assumes that one of the main factors affecting trade is the economic dimension of a country which is directly related to the volume of imports and exports. In the paper, after a literature review on the gravity models, the illustration of the different phases investigation and construction of the database (specification, calibration and validation) to the definition and implementation of the proposed model is proposed. Scenario analyses are therefore proposed for assessing the environmental impacts generated by maritime transport in the Mediterranean basin as the freight flows vary. The analyses are carried out using a simulation approach which, starting from hypotheses on the economic and social development trends of the countries of the southern shore, made it possible to evaluate the variations in terms of freight flows and environmental impacts in terms of pollution.

Design of a modified atmosphere storage system for shelf life enhancement of mango ( Mangifera indica , cv. Amrapali )

Modified atmosphere storage (MAS) system was developed under passive as well as active conditions for bulk handling and storage of mango. The developed mathematical model used in the design process was validated and found to be appropriate, as indicated by moduli (E < 10%). The use of O2 absorber in the active MAS system has extended the shelf life of mango by 3.5 times as compared to control along with maintaining good quality attributes at the end of the storage period at ambient temperature (27°C). It may be due to attainment of an early dynamic equilibrium O2 and CO2 concentrations which were much close to the targeted level. The shelf life of mango under control, passive and active condition was found to be 4, 10 and 14 days, respectively. The extra shelf life gained by mango under active MAS condition may provide buffer period for storage, retailing and distribution during supply chain. Novelty impact statement The main cause of post-harvest loss of crop like mango and other fresh produce is the poor handling due to unavailability of a bulk storage system at on-farm level. Therefore, it is essential to develop an economical storage system which can facilitate large quantity storage of mango to the farmers at their orchard level itself. Hence, in the above context, our study is an attempt made to develop, design and compare an active as well as passive MAS system for mango. These uniquely developed and designed MAS systems were evaluated under passive as well as active condition by storing 100 kg of mango inside them. From the results, it was quite clear that an active MAS system can provide long-term storage of mango even at on-farm storage condition and can also facilitate a buffer period to the farmers during retailing and distribution.

The Influence of Particle Size on Sliding Wear of a Convex Pattern Surface

Sliding wear of bulk handling equipment (e.g., shovel bucket, mill and transfer chute) can be dramatically reduced by using a convex pattern surface compared to a flat surface, by adjusting the flow behavior of particles moving along the convex pattern surface. To study the effect of particle size relative to the dimensions of the convex pattern surface, a coarse graining technique is applied. Comparisons of bulk flow and wear behavior between the convex pattern and flat surfaces illustrate the two-sided effect of the convex pattern surface on sliding wear. The bulk flow behavior indicates that the particle size has a minor effect on the velocity and angular velocity of particles for the flat surface, while it has a significant effect on those of the convex pattern surface. The wear results show that the particle size has negligible influence on the sliding wear of a flat surface and a linear relationship with the sliding wear of the convex pattern surface. The convex pattern surface can reduce the sliding wear through influencing the flow behavior of the bulk material when the equivalent radius of the convex is larger than r50 of particles. This research reveals the relationship between the dimensions of the convex pattern and the particle size on the sliding wear caused by the interaction between bulk material and bulk handling equipment. The relationship should be carefully considered for the applications of the convex pattern surface to bulk handling equipment.

The effect of post-harvest storage on the weight of Golden Delicious apples

Apples, like other fruits, are exposed to stress during their growth and development in the field, also during harvest and the postharvest environment (processing, storage, and transportation). The refrigeration system allows for bulk handling of food products from harvest to market, ensuring that food products are maintained in their freshness and integrity for an extended period through careful management of storage temperature and humidity. This study investigated the effects of storage on the weight loss of apples (Golden Delicious fruits harvested at maturity), under refrigerated conditions at a temperature of 5±0.5°C and relative humidity of 82% and under ambient storage at a temperature of 25 ±0.5 °C and relative humidity of 60 %, over 3 months. The findings revealed that the two groups of apples experienced weight reduction at different levels. Apples placed at cold storage presented a loss of weight between 3.31g and 4.49g; however, apples stored at ambient temperature showed a significant loss of weight between 21.9g and 31.76g.

Development of an innovative mathematical model to design an active modified atmosphere storage system for mango (cv. Amrapali)

AbstractCurrently, the modified atmosphere storage (MAS) technique is one of the most economical and widely adopted practices used to enhance the shelf life of fresh produce including mango. The MAS system is designed in two ways; one is called passive MAS and other is active MAS. Nowadays the bulk handling and storage of fresh produce at on‐farm level is one of the challenging tasks and therefore, using the basic principle of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) the study was aimed to develop an active MAS system. In this study, to design an active MAS system for 100 kg of mango, an innovative active mathematical model was developed using enzyme kinetics‐based respiration rate model coupled with Arrhenius equation under active condition (50, 100, and 150 cc of O2 absorber). The designed active system was used for on‐farm handling and storage of mango at 27°C. The basic aim of the model was to determine the exact quantity of oxygen absorber required to bring early dynamic equilibrium condition inside the MAS system with optimum level of gas concentration (5–8% O2 and 5–8% CO2) for mango. The model was solved by Adam's numerical method using Taylor's formulae and iterated in MATLAB software. The mean relative percentage deviation moduli (E) between the experimental and predicted values of O2 and CO2 concentration was found to be 8.97 and 8.42%, respectively, indicating the accuracy of the developed active model.Practical applicationsOn‐farm handling of fresh horticultural crops is the leading problem for orchard growers and causes excess postharvest losses. The current work presents some interesting results on the determination of the exact concentration of oxygen absorber required to design an accurate as well as a perfect active modified atmosphere storage system for 100 kg of mango using the concept of mathematical modeling. The principle aim of this approach was to increase the adaptability of the modified atmosphere packaging concept for preservation and shelf life extension of fresh produce during bulk handling and transportation. The designed system is easy to handle mango during its on‐farm storage and might become a boon for orchard growers.

English

This study investigated some physiochemical and engineering properties of Musa spp (ABB) starch flour using standard procedures with a view to providing data that will aid in process design, control and bulk handling of Musa spp (ABB) starch flour. Loose and packed bulk densities, the least gelation concentration, density ratio and porosity ranged between 0.47 to 0.70 g/mL, 0.60 to 0.95 g/mL, 8 to 16% (w/v), 74.25 to 77.26%, and 22.73 to 25.74% respectively. Similarly, the Carr index had a range of 29.11 to 35.78% and Hausner ratio ranged from 1.29 to 1.36. The amylose-amylopectin ratio content obtained range from 0.45 to 0.50. Also, the thermal properties of the samples measured using differential scanning calorimeter ranged between 79.3 and 92.8&deg;C, 106.4 and 121.2&deg;C, 106.2 and 122.8&deg;C, 56.75 and 278.6 J/g, 21.4 and 94.743.5&deg;C, 10.95 and 20.28 J/(gK), 0.50 and 0.705 W/m&deg;C, and 0.090 and 0.094 m2/s for onset temperature, peak temperature, end temperature, enthalpy, temperature range, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, respectively. This study therefore provides engineering data in relation to process design, control and bulk handling with a view to extending the usage of Musa spp (ABB) starch samples in food process industries. &nbsp; Key words: Musa spp (ABB), Starch, physico-chemical and engineering properties, bulk handling.

English

The guava (Psidium guajava) grows on farms or in the bush in many parts of Kenya, including Kitui and Taita Taveta, and remains virtually unattended. Guava fruit value chain is commercially disorganized and standard postharvest handling and storage procedures are not practiced as there is no bulk handling. This study evaluated the harvesting and postharvest handling practices of the guava fruit in two counties of Kenya. A total of 417 farmers were selected from the two counties (Kitui, n=214 and Taita Taveta, n=203). Using a structured questionnaire, data was collected utilizing Open Data Kit (ODK). Results showed that the main indicative maturity indices in Kitui and Taita Taveta were skin color (98.59 and 92.12%) and full ripe (38.79 and 18.72%) respectively. Results indicated that no packaging was done at farm level as only small quantities were harvested. Storage period was short (< 4 days) mainly to await consumption as reported by 41.6 and 55.2% handlers in Kitui and Taita Taveta, respectively. A cluster analysis of hygiene and postharvest handling practices indicated that Kitui farmers were more knowledgeable (71.9%) as compared to Taita Taveta (49.8%). Additionally, female farmers were more knowledgeable (65.4%) on postharvest handling than males (55.4%). Postharvest handling practices were informal with little packaging, poor hygiene practices, short term storage and informal marketing of small quantities in both Counties. Key words: Guavas, postharvest, preservation, postharvest handling, hygiene, postharvest losses.

Moisture‐dependent engineering properties of arugula seed relevant in mechanical processing and bulk handling

AbstractKnowledge of the engineering properties of seeds, grains, nuts, kernels, and fruits is vital in the design of planting, harvesting, and postharvesting machines. This study investigates moisture‐dependent geometrical, gravimetrical, frictional, rheological, and aerodynamical properties of arugula seed. The length, width, and thickness of the seed distributions were modeled by the Normal, Log‐normal, and Weibull probability density functions. In the moisture ranges of 4.68–20.50%, the major, intermediate, and minor seed dimensions increased from 2.01 to 2.35 mm, 1.60 to 1.98 mm, and 1.17 to 1.33 mm, respectively. The results indicated that Log‐normal distribution had the best performance in most cases. Values of 1,000‐seed mass, bulk density, particle density, and porosity ranged between 1.33 to 1.77 g, 703.07 to 644.37 kg m−3, 1,160 to 1,392 kg m−3, and 39.39 to 53.71% as in the above moisture ranges. The filling and emptying angles of repose increased from 29.21° to 34.78° and 37.95° to 39.75°, respectively, as the moisture content increased. Incremental trends were observed for terminal velocity in water and air and residual stress during relaxation tests. Decreasing trends were observed for drag coefficient, modulus of elasticity, maximum contact stress, toughness, hardness, rupture force, and reduced stress during relaxation tests.Practical ApplicationsArugula (Eruca vesicaria L. or Eruca sativa Mill L.) is a popular worldwide vegetable. Besides consuming its leaves as a vegetable, the oil extracted from its seeds has industrial uses. This study investigated properties of arugula seeds with varying moisture contents with a view to understand their relevance in mechanical processing and bulk handling. The results presented in the current work would contribute to designing the metering devices (distributors), sorters, separators, cleaners, transportation systems, conveyors, oil extractors, etc.

Reducing post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables for ensuring food security – Case of Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, 70% of 21 million population live in non-urban areas, and agriculture provides livelihood for approximately 40% of them. The agricultural marketing process in the country is a complex operation due to services and functions involved in moving a crop product from where it was produced to where it would finally be consumed. Further, with a wide range of agricultural crops being produced, post-harvest handling process create different degrees of quantitative and qualitative losses in a complex market chain, which are estimated at 20% to 40% for vegetables and 30% - 40% for fruits. Improper and non-scientific post-harvest practices and handling, gaps in integration of cold chain practices &amp; elements with post-harvest process, and lack of knowledge &amp; awareness on many related aspects at grass root farmer level etc. appear to contribute to losses that finally prevent due economic benefits reaching the small-scale producer. In order to increase the effectiveness of post-harvest process handling of fruit and vegetables, appropriate corrective measures targeting small scale producers as well as commercial scale producers need to be popularized and practiced. At small scale producer level, promotion of appropriate low-cost post-harvest practices and procedures, facilitating low-cost cold chain elements and user-friendly information flow mechanism on market situation would certainly help avoid some of the steps that lead to losses. Monitoring system of commercial post-harvest handling process that ensure scientific bulk handling, storage and transportation of fruit and vegetables, properly designed economic centers with well regulated environmentcontrolled storages etc. would greatly reduce loses in bulk handling, ensuring better food security in the island.

The effect of types and moisture contents of soybeans (Glycine max) on terminal velocity

Terminal velocity of grain product is one of aerodynamics properties which needed for design machines or handling agricultural grains in pneumatics bulk handling systems. Terminal velocity is influenced by many factors, the two important factors are type of grain material and moisture content. This research was aimed to investigate the effect of types and moisture contents on terminal velocity of soybeans grain. Three different types of soybeans namely local, import, and local black soybean in three different moisture contents of 10, 13, and 16% (w.b) were investigated in this study, using factorial design 3 x 3. Each combination was replicate three times. Terminal velocities were investigated using self-constructed apparatus and the velocities were measured using hot wire anemometer. Result shows that types of soybeans and moisture contents significantly affected terminal velocity (p<0.05), however there no significant interaction was found. The higher moisture contents, the higher would be the terminal velocities value. Imported soybean had highest terminal velocity and local black soybean is the lowest ones. The relationship between terminal velocity and moisture content could be expressed in linear regression equations for these three types of soybean.