Food Traders Research Articles

Knowledge with sanitation and hygiene behavior among food traders in traditional market, Surakarta City

Background: Traditional markets are markets that are always visited by everyone who will shop for daily needs, therefore the market must be clean from all diseases caused by garbage and dirt around the market. Based on a preliminary study conducted in three traditional markets in Surakarta, the majority of traders in sick conditions still carry out selling activities without using personal protective equipment, the majority of traders do not implement personal hygiene behavior starting from not providing clean water and not providing trash bins. This can potentially contaminate food so that it transmits disease through food or is transmitted directly to consumers. Purpose: To know the relationship of knowledge with sanitary hygiene behavior toward food traders. Method: The study used a quantitative. The design used is an analytical survey with a cross-sectional approach. The study population was 85 traditional market traders in five Surakarta City Traditional Markets, namely Kleco Market, Gede Market, Nangka Market, Kliwon Market, and Legi Market. The sample used was 85 respondents. The sampling technique is Total Sampling. Results: Based on statistical analysis, a p-value of 0.000 or p-value <of 0.05 was obtained, so there is a relationship between knowledge and sanitary hygiene behavior towards food traders. Conclusion: The local government should routinely provide information related to food sanitation hygiene in traditional markets. It is expected that market traders should maintain personal hygiene and food while selling in the market so that the food sold is maintained in quality and safety. Suggestions: For further researchers, it is necessary to conduct further research on sanitary hygiene behavior in market traders, so that other related factors can be known.

Use Of Vegetable And Fruit Waste To Make Environmentally Friendly Liquid Fertilizer In The Growth Of The Indonesian Community Of Pinang

This community service partner is the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) PERMAI in Penang. PERMAI members are generally Indonesian workers who work in Penang, some of whom work as home-based food traders. Around where he lives, traders produce waste, including organic waste from cooking activities and leftovers from selling vegetables and fruit. This organic waste rots easily if left alone, causing an unpleasant odor in the surrounding area and causing a smelly and unhealthy environment. One way to handle organic waste, especially rotten fruit and vegetables produced from household or restaurant waste, is by making liquid fertilizer. The implementation method used is two stages, namely: 1) preparation stage; production originating from appropriate technological equipment activities for making liquid fertilizer, discussions and sharing with team members, and 2) the stage of implementing community service at partner locations, distributing questionnaires before and after the exposure. The expected target in this community service activity is to increase the knowledge of the Indonesian working community in Pulau Pinang regarding how to make and the benefits of liquid fertilizer which can be made from everyday household vegetable and fruit waste.

Analisis Kehalalan Produk Makanan dalam Upaya Perlindungan Konsumen Bagi Umat Muslim: Studi Kasus Pasar Kiaracondong

This study discusses the analysis of halal food products in an effort to protect consumers for Muslim in the Kiaracondong market. The objectives of this study are: 1) to further examine the halalness of food products as an effort to protect consumers in the Muslim community in Kiaracondong Market, Bandung City, West Java. 2) to find out the form of Muslim consumer protection in Kiaracondong Market, Bandung City, West Java. In running their business, most processed meat food traders do not fully understand the halal food products and consumer protection. This study used interview data collection techniques and documentation, interviews were conducted to traders of processed food products and consumers who purchased these food products. Documentation is used to obtain data regarding the description of Kiaracondong Market, Bandung City, West Java. Based on data analysis by conducting interviews and documentation at Kiaracondong Market, Bandung City, West Java, researchers can conclude that both food traders and consumers have not implemented halal product standards as an effort to protect consumers. This is due to the lack of understanding and knowledge as well as awareness of traders of sellers about halal food standards to ensure the protection of Muslim consumers.

PENGARUH FLUKTUASI HARGA TERHADAP DAYA BELI PEDAGANG SEMBAKO MUSLIM DI PASAR PALAKKA KAB. BONE

This research discusses the effect of price fluctuations on purchasing power, or the purchasing power of traders, this study aims to determine whether fluctuations can affect the purchasing power of traders, the population in this study was 100 people and samples were taken based on the slovin formula as many as 80 respondents, this research was an ex post facto research the type of research used was quantitative using data collection techniques in the form of questionnaires, while the data analysis technique used was descriptive statistical analysis. The results showed that partially the variable price fluctuations had a positive and significant effect on the purchasing power of Muslim groceries traders with the result t count 6.111 t table = 2.000, with a significance level of 0.000 0.05. The magnitude of the effect of price fluctuations on the purchasing power of Muslim basic food traders is 32.4%, while the rest is influenced by other factors not included in this study.

HUBUNGAN PENGETAHUAN DAN SIKAP TERHADAP TINDAKAN HIGIENE SANITASI PENGOLAHAN MAKANAN JAJANAN PEDAGANG KAKI LIMA DI PERUMNAS SIMALINGKAR KECAMATAN MEDAN TUNTUNGAN KOTA MEDAN TAHUN 2023

Street vendors' knowledge regarding food processing sanitation hygiene will determine their attitudes, and this will influence the vendors' actions when processing food. Sanitary hygiene in street food processing is a health effort by maintaining and protecting cleanliness. Personal hygiene in food processing can be achieved if an understanding of the importance of maintaining personal health and cleanliness is embedded within oneself. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes towards sanitary hygiene measures for processing street food snacks at Perumnas Simalingkar in 2023. This research is analytical with a cross sectional design, which means a study where the variables including effects are observed. The sample used in this research used total sampling. The total sample size is all 35 street food traders. The data was analyzed using the chi square test. Based on the results of the chi square test, there is a relationship between knowledge of food sanitation hygiene measures with a p value of 0.019, and there is a relationship between attitudes towards food sanitation hygiene measures with a p value of 0.019. The research conclusion is that there is a relationship between knowledge and action and there is a relationship between attitude and action. The advice that researchers can give is to take part in training and counseling on food sanitation hygiene in order to guarantee the quality of the food to be sold.

An Analysis of Challenges Facing Smallholder Crop Farmers and Informal Food Traders in the Agri-Food Value Chain in Gauteng Province, South Africa

The study's main objective was to investigate the challenges faced by smallholder crop farmers and informal food traders in the agri-food value chain in Gauteng province. A sample of 32 smallholder crop farmers and 32 informal food traders was gathered using questionnaire surveys. The different challenges identified have negatively influenced the progress and development of these actors. For example, COVID-19 lockdown regulations have destroyed the trading jobs of informal food traders, directly affecting smallholder crop farmers' income. This was because informal food traders were identified as the major customers for smallholder crop farmers, as indicated by the study data. Other challenges faced by smallholder crop farmers included a small amount of arable land, lack of grower schemes, regulatory barriers, lack of agricultural management skills and extension services, and lack of credit facilities and resources. As part of the recommendations for the smallholder crop farmers, it was proposed that the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development should improve policies on the reaction and management of shocks like COVID-19 in the economy to protect the vulnerable groups in society. Additional recommendations included addressing gender disparity in the smallholder crop farming sector as males dominated the agricultural sector; introducing easy eligibility criteria for micro-loan applications by DFIs to enable smallholder crop farmers to access loans; and the proposal for extensive arable land to aid smallholder crop farmers to expand and grow in their business trajectory. For the informal food traders, it was recommended that the municipal authority improve the by-laws that govern how informal food traders are treated.

BTEX Assessment among Informal Charcoal-Burning Food Traders for Cleaner and Sustainable Environment

This study assessed the cleaner and sustainable environment by measuring emission levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from informal food traders using charcoal as the primary source of energy at a flea market in Fordsburg, Johannesburg. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured using a real-time monitor (MiniRae 3000 photoionization detector); an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitor was used to monitor environmental parameters and passive samplers in the form of Radiello badges, which were used to determine BTEX emissions from charcoal used during food preparation. Measurements were taken at 1.5 m above ground assuming the receptor’s breathing circumference using PID and Radiello. PID data were downloaded and analyzed using Microsoft Excel(Version 2019). Radiellos were sent to the laboratory to determine the BTEX levels from the total VOCs. The total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentration over the combustion cycle was 306.7 ± 62.8 ppm. The flaming phase had the highest VOC concentration (547 ± 110.46 ppm), followed by the ignition phase (339.44 ± 40.6 ppm) and coking with the lowest concentration (24.64 ± 14.3). The average BTEX concentration was 15.7 ± 5.9 µg/m3 corresponding to the entire combustion cycle. BTEX concentrations were highest at the flaming phase (23.6 µg/m3) followed by the ignition (13.4 µg/m3) and coking phase (9.45 µg/m3). Ignition phase versus the flaming phase, there was a significant difference at 95% at a p-value of 0.09; ignition phase versus the coking phase, there was a significant difference at 95% at a p-value of 0.039; and coking phase versus the flaming phase, there was a significant difference at 95% at a p-value of 0.025. When compared to the occupational exposure limits (OELs), none of the exposure concentrations (BTEX) were above the 8 h exposure limit. The findings of this study suggest that charcoal, as a source of energy, can still be a useful and sustainable fuel for informal food traders. Shortening the ignition and flaming phase duration by using a fan to supply sufficient air can further reduce exposure to VOCs.

Ethnobotanical investigation of nutraceuticals used in the Nyong and Kelle Division, Centre Region, Cameroon

This study presents an ethnobotanical investigation of nutraceuticals plants used by the people of the Nyong and Kelle Division, in the Centre Region of Cameroon, to address various ailments. A systematic survey was conducted in ten markets and ten villages, where food traders were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather information on the medicinal uses of plants. Traditional healers, elders, and community members validated the collected information. A total of 56 plants with medicinal properties were identified, categorized as 30 fruit trees, 19 vegetables, and 7 spices, belonging to 32 botanical families. The Anacardiaceae and Solanaceae families were the most represented. These nutraceuticals were found to treat 28 different illnesses, with the leaves being the most commonly used plant organ. Decoctions were the primary therapeutic indication, and digestive system-related ailments were prevalent. This research contributes to the preservation and dissemination of ethnobotanical knowledge inherited from previous generations.

The Influence of Financial Attitudes, Financial Literacy, and Income Level on Informal Sector Financial Management Behavior among Basic Food Traders in Praya City, Lombok Tengah

MSME are a form of business managed by a person or group of people with a certain amount of capital and setting up a business with the aim of making a profit with the ability to develop flexible business processes. This research aims to determine the influence of financial attitudes, financial literacy, and income level on informal sector financial management behavior among basic food traders in Praya City, Central Lombok. The sample used was 103 respondents. The sampling technique uses probability sampling. In explaining the research results, the data analysis technique uses Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis based on Partial Least Square (PLS). The research results show that the financial attitude and income level variables with financial management behavior have a positive relationship with financial management behavior and do not have a significant effect. However, the financial literacy variable shows a positive relationship and has a significant effect on financial management behavior. This implies that an individual's financial decisions will be greatly influenced by their financial knowledge.

HOW DO CUSTOMERS PAY FOR THEIR ONLINE FOOD PURCHASES? A Study on the Online Food Purchasers in Bangladesh

This paper investigates the choice of payment methods by online food purchasers in Bangladesh. The objective is to identify the factors influencing the choice of payment methods and factors influencing the choice. Responses are collected from 540 respondents through an online questionnaire survey. Cross-tabulation, frequency analysis, the Chi-square independence test, and binary logistic regression are used for in-depth analysis of the data. Cash on delivery is found to be the most favored method of payment followed by mobile financial services (MFS) and internet banking and/or debit/credit cards. Among the demographic variables, purchasers’ gender showed a significant but weak influence on the choice of payment method. MFSs are the most preferred payment method for men. A larger percentage of women prefer the cash-on-delivery method. The use of debit/credit cards is more prevalent among the female purchasers. Other demographic variables such as household income, age, and profession did not portray any significant influence on the choice of payment method. However, frequent buyers are found to prefer online payment (MFS, card, or internet banking) to occasional buyers. The findings of the study contribute to business literature by shedding light on an inadequately tapped area of research. Factors identified to be significant in the choice of payment methods will help online food traders address issues related to their business process and effectively communicate the improvements they can make. The findings of the study may also instigate the financial service providers to be motivated to focus on educating customers about online payment systems and their built-in security.

Hubungan Pengetahuan Dan Sikap Dengan Personal Hygiene Penjamah Makanan Pedagang Kaki Lima Di Taman Jayawijaya Mojosongo

Food is a basic human need for survival, so it must meet individual nutritional needs and be suitable for consumption. Poor food safety is the main source of foodborne illnesses. Food traders' personal hygiene has a big influence on food safety, so that food ingredients are not contaminated. BPOM stated that in Indonesia there are still many street vendors who do not pay attention to personal hygiene and the cleanliness of their selling places. This research aims to determine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes with personal hygiene among street vendors’ food handlers at Jayawijaya Park Mojosongo. The type of research used is quantitative in the form of an observational survey with a cross-sectional approach with a population of street vendor food handlers in Jayawijaya Park Mojosongo. The sample used in this research was 111 food handlers. The results of the research show that there is a relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene of street vendor food handlers (p-value 0.031) and there is a relationship between attitude and personal hygiene of street vendor food handlers (p-value 0.036). In this research, it was concluded that there is a relationship between knowledge and attitudes with the personal hygiene of street vendor food handlers in Jayawijaya Park, Mojosongo.

Evaluation of Structuring and Empowerment of Food Traders (PKL) in Sukabumi City

The purpose of this study was to determine the evaluation of the government of Sukabumi City in the policy of structuring and empowering food traders (PKL) in Sukabumi City. This study uses qualitative research methods with a descriptive approach using data collection techniques, observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion/verification. The results of this study were measured by evaluation indicators by Agustino (2022) which showed that the Sukabumi City Government in evaluating policies for structuring and empowering food traders had not been maximized, this was due to the lack of good and strong cooperation between the local government and food traders. Food traders also only consider personal interests without looking at the rules they must comply with, this is the main factor in evaluations not running optimally.

Resilience – and collapse – of local food systems in conflict affected areas; reflections from Burkina Faso

Armed conflicts are among the major disruptions affecting local food systems in low- and middle-income countries, having devastating effects on populations’ food security. The understanding of the mechanisms linking conflicts to food insecurity is limited, however, by a lack of data on how these conflicts affect the different actors of local food systems. In this study, we aim to address this gap, using empirical data from the northeast region of Burkina Faso where an active conflict is occurring. The objective is to document and analyze the impacts of that conflict on the functioning of the local food system and more specifically on the resilience of the traders that operate from Sebba, the capital of the Yagha province. The analysis reveals, first, the magnitude of the disruption. On average, these local food traders experienced a 40%-50% contraction in their activities compared to the situation prior to the conflict. Not all operators are affected with the same intensity, however. Transporters appeared to be impacted more severely than retailers/vendors. Econometric models are then used to explore the socio-economic characteristics of these different actors. The analysis shows that, contrarily to what is often observed with farmers, the level of assets did not seem to contribute significantly to traders’ resilience. Instead, having recently relocated to Sebba appears more important to ensure the level of adaptability needed to respond to the rapidly deteriorating situation. The analysis also reveals that the resilience of the “positive deviants” (those operators who did better than the rest of the group) materialized essentially through their capacity to buffer more effectively shocks’ impacts but it did not spare them from facing drastic contractions in their trade business. Eventually, the resilience of those positive deviants was not sufficient to maintain the resilience of the whole system. It ensues a catastrophic drop in the quantity of food traded (up to 50% for certain products), leading to the collapse of the system and a 10-fold increase in the food insecurity of the local population. The paper concludes by weighing the usefulness of the concept of resilience in the context of severe disruptions of the food systems (such as armed conflicts), emphasizes the risk that an unconditional promotion/adoption of that concept may reduce our ability to anticipate or even to envision collapse scenarios. On the brighter side, our analysis demonstrates that collecting specific information about the food system operators can help predict, and possibly prevent, such collapses.

Civil Recourse Against Food Traders Causing Food Poisoning in Malaysia – Proposals for Reforms

Under the current legal regime, the only civil recourse against food traders causing food poisoning to consumers in Malaysia is through civil action under tort of negligence. A civil action is not straightforward and often fraught with difficulties. Hence, the objectives of this paper are twofold. Firstly, to examine the application of the tort of negligence in civil liability cases against food traders who cause food poisoning; and secondly, to explore alternative approaches that could be introduced to safeguard the legal rights to compensation of aggrieved consumers and/or dependants of deceased consumers. This paper employs a pure doctrinal research method where the relevant food safety legislations and relevant English case laws together with the secondary sources such as textbooks, journals articles, statistics reports, press reports, relevant online databases, and websites are referred to. This paper concludes that the only civil recourse available is by commencing a civil action under tort of negligence against food traders. In addition, it is also found that relevant food safety legislations only empower enforcement authorities to take legal action against food traders but they will not act on behalf of aggrieved consumers who suffered from food poisoning and/or dependants of deceased consumers who died from food poisoning. This paper, thus, proposes reforms by way of amendments to the Food Act 1983.

Pengaruh Persepsi Kegunaan Dan Persepsi Kemudahan Terhadap Minat Penggunaan Brimo (BRI Mobile) (Pada Pedagang Sembako Di Pasar Tanjung Kabupaten Jember)

This study aims to analyze the factors that can influence the perception of staple food traders in the Tanjung market about interest in using BRImo through attitude towards using, using the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) approach. These factors include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude towards using as Intervening variables. This research was conducted by distributing questionnaires to food traders in Tanjung market, Jember regency. Sample determination in this study used the Simple Random Sampling method. The questionnaire was distributed to 109 food traders in Tanjung market who qualified as samples and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).The test showed that: (1) perceived usability had a significant effect on interest in use; (2) perceived convenience has a significant effect on interest in use; (3) attitude toward using has a significant effect on interest in use; (4) perceived usefulness of interest through attitude toward using has a significant effect; (5) The perception of ease of interest through attitude toward using does not have a significant effect.

Sanitation and Enviromental Health in Traditional Snack Food Trader of Elementary School, Buntusu Village, Makassar City

Many snacks do not meet health requirements and therefore threaten children's health. Most school children's snacks are traditionally processed foods sold by street vendors. The aim of this research is to determine the implementation of hygiene and sanitation among traditional snack food traders in the Buntusu Village Elementary School environment, Makassar City. This research is a descriptive study designed based on a cross sectional approach. The population in this study were all traditional snack food traders in the Buntusu Village Elementary School area, Makassar City. So it can be concluded that the distribution of respondent characteristics includes 73.9% of respondents aged 24-54 years, 52.2% of respondents are male, 47.8% of respondents have worked as traditional snack food traders for 1-10 years, There were 4.3% of respondents with the highest level of education, namely graduating from college, and 8.7% of respondents with the lowest education, namely not attending school. And 52.2% of respondents had good personal hygiene, while the remaining 47.8% of respondents had poor personal hygiene.

Access to food markets, household wealth and child nutrition in rural Cambodia: Findings from nationally representative data.

Access to informal fresh food markets plays a vital role in household food security and dietary quality in transitioning rural economies. However, it is not well understood if market access also improves child nutrition and if the improvement applies to all socioeconomic groups. In this secondary research study, we combined a national listing of food markets (n = 503) with a national household survey to examine the associations of market access with diet and height across wealth groups in children aged 6 to 23 months in rural Cambodia. All children under two years of age with dietary data (n = 1537) or anthropometry data (n = 989) were selected from the household survey. Food markets were geocoded using Google Maps or villages' geographical coordinates publicly available in the Open Development Mekong data platform. Regression calibration was then used to estimate household distance to the nearest market. Descriptive results indicated a highly uneven distribution of food markets with median household distance to the nearest markets ranging between 4 km (IQR: 3-8 km) in the lowland areas and 9 km (IQR: 4-17 km) in the highland areas. Results from the multivariate linear regressions showed that distance to the nearest market was modestly associated with child dietary diversity score (β: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.29, -0.05) but it was not related to child height-for-age z-score, and that household wealth did not modify the associations between distance to markets and child dietary diversity score. These findings suggest that improving access to food markets alone might not lead to meaningful improvement in child diet. Detailed surveys on household food acquisition are needed to clarify the role of food markets relative to other food sources such as subsistence fisheries, subsistence gardening and mobile food traders.

Seasonal climate models for national wheat yield forecasts in Brazil

National wheat yield depends on climate conditions and usually remains unknown until harvest. In-season knowledge can be provided by wheat yield forecast systems, supporting the decision-making of farmers, food traders, or policymakers. In this study, we improved a previously developed statistical wheat yield model to forecast trend-corrected wheat yield in Brazil with monthly temperature and precipitation data from seasonal climate models (SCM) from the last three months before harvest. We chose SCM from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and the UK-based Met-Office (UKMO). A multi-model ensembles (MME) approach from the three individual models as well as a climatology (CLIMATE) approach were also tested. Wheat yield forecasts were issued at the beginning of each month from planting in April to harvest in November. Each month, features from future months are forecasted by SCM, and past features are supplemented with observations from weather stations. Our approach shows a 12% RMSE in forecasting yield early in the season, from April to June. Forecasts start to improve from July onwards, with shorter lead times and including observed features from September onwards. At the beginning of October, about two months before harvest is completed, wheat yield can be forecasted with 7.6%, 7.9%, 7.9%, 9.1%, and 9.3% RMSE using climate data from UKMO, ECMWF, MME, NCEP, and CLIMATE respectively. Seasonal climate models can be useful tools to forecast national wheat yield, even shortly before harvest to prepare for possible food shortages. Our approach could be applied to other staple crops and regions.

Analisis Kimia Minyak Goreng Bekas Pedagang Gorengan Dengan Metode Deep Frying di Lingkungan Perguruan Tinggi Swasta Kota Jambi

Background: The largest demand for cooking oil in Indonesia is dominated by the use of coconut cooking oil with a breakdown of 8.954 million tons for palm cooking oil. Indonesia's most favorite food product is fried food. Fried food is one of the snacks that is always present when gathering. Examples of molen, fried tofu, fried tempeh, fried banana, fried bakwan, with deep frying methods that use a lot of oil, so that it has an impact on the use of cooking oil repeatedly and causes damage to cooking oil. Aims: aims to determine the chemical damage of used cooking oil based on the test parameters of water content, free fatty acid content and peroxide number content in accordance with the 2019 SNI palm cooking oil standard Methods: Descriptive non-experimental research is survey in nature, by collecting data interviews and questionnaires. This research was conducted in May-June 2023. The method of determining the sample is total sampling and univariate data processing. Results: The results showed that of the 10 samples of cooking oil used by fried food traders in private universities in Jambi City, there were 10% moisture content, 10% free fatty acid content and there were 100% peroxide number levels that did not meet the 2019 SNI standards. Conclusion: Of the 10 samples of used cooking oil from fried food traders in private universities in Jambi City, there was 1 sample of used cooking oil H that did not meet the 2019 SNI palm cooking oil quality standards

Machine learning for soybean yield forecasting in Brazil

Brazil supplies half of the world's exported soybeans. Forecasting its national soybean yield before harvest could help mitigate disruptions in food supply. The objective of this study is to develop a national soybean yield forecasting system for Brazil based on machine learning (ML) models. Twenty years (2001–2020) of municipality yield, the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI), remote sensing, and gridded daily climate data across the Brazilian soybean cultivation area were used to train ML models in order to estimate municipality soybean yield. Five different ML approaches and their Ensemble were tested: Linear (Ridge) Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosted Trees (XGB), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Long Short-Term Memory Network (LSTM). Soybean yield forecasting performance varied according to ML model and location. The best performance in estimating municipal soybean yield was achieved with ANN and an Ensemble model with an average rRMSE of 16%, varying from 4% in central-northern to >30% in southern Brazil. Yield was simulated on the municipality level, and its weighted aggregation was used to estimate the yield on the state and national level. Estimations deviated from the observations by an rRMSE from 4.7% to 18.6% (state level) and 4.8% to 6.7% (national level) with the model Ensemble showing the best results, followed by ANN. National soybean yield is forecasted mid-season with an rRMSE of about 6% by end of December, three months prior to crop harvest in March. The accuracy and uncertainty of such in-season forecasts further improve towards the end of the season. The proposed soybean yield forecasting system is transferable to other countries and could help policymakers and food traders plan strategies ahead of harvest.