2. Post Harvest
Losses
Introduction
Lowers the price for the consumer
and increases the farmer’s income.
Utilizing improved post harvest practices often
results in reduced food losses, which reduces
cost of production, trade and distribution.
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It also improves overall quality and
food safety, and helps to increase the
profits of the growers and marketers.
3. Post Harvest
Losses
Post harvest losses can be defined as losses
of horticultural commodities in quality and
quantity after harvesting till consumption.
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Definition
5. Post Harvest
Losses
Causes of Post Harvest Losses
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Post
Harvest Losses
Disease –
fungi, bacteria
Injuries –
insects, mechanical
force, chemicals,
heat or freezing
Non-
disease disorders
6. Post Harvest
Losses
Other Factors Causing Post Harvest Losses
Environmental factors such as soil type,
temperature.
Genetic traits
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Wind during fruit set, frost, and rainy weather at
harvest can have adverse effects on storage
life, suitability for shifting, and quality.
Cultural practices may have dramatic impacts
on post harvest quality.
Good agricultural practices (GAP) and post
harvest handling, minimal processing, and
distribution to consumers must be developed.
7. Post Harvest
Losses
Farmer must give careful attention to:
Cultivation: Follow Good Agricultural Practices
(GAP)
Market demand for the products he will
grow; he must know the market and his
buyers.
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Appropriate harvesting harvesting and field handling.
Suitable and attractive packing or packaging.
Transportation in refrigerated van
Market handling; possibly storage or
refrigeration.
Sales to consumers, wholesalers or agents
Perishability of the produce.
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8. Post Harvest
Losses
Common Causes of Post Harvest Losses
Inadequate cooling and temperature maintenance
Rough handling
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Lack of sorting
Inadequate packaging
9. Post Harvest
Losses
Common practices for reducing Causes of
Post Harvest Losses
Storage life - temperature management
Minimizing rough handling
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Appropriate Post harvest processes-
harvesting,
cleaning,
grading,
cooling,
storing,
packaging,
transporting and
marketing
Packaging in mango fruit
10. Post Harvest
Losses
Mechanical Damage (Physical Injury)
The perishability of the horticultural produce
makes them susceptible to mechanical injury,
which can occur at any stage from production to
retail marketing because of:
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Poor harvesting practices;
Unsuitable field or marketing containers and
crates, which may have splintered wood,
sharp edges, poor nailing or stapling;
Over packing or under packing of field or
marketing containers;
Careless handling, such as dropping or
throwing or walking on produce and
packed containers during the process
of grading, transport or marketing.
12. Post Harvest
Losses
Diseases and insect-pests
Fresh produce can become infected before or
after harvest by diseases widespread in the air,
soil and water.
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Post-harvest diseases can also be spread by:
Field boxes contaminated by soil or
decaying produce or both.
Contaminated water used to wash
produce before packing.
Decaying rejected produce left lying
around packing houses.
Contaminating healthy produce in
packages.
13. Post Harvest
Losses
Diseases and Pests
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Blossom end rot in tomato
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Fruit borer in tomato
Anthracnose in mango
Fruit borer in mango
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14. Post Harvest
Losses
Principal Causes of Post Harvest Losses and
Poor Quality (Vegetables)
Potato
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Mechanical injuries
Improper curing
Sprouting and rooting
Water loss (shriveling)
Decay
Chilling injury
(subtropical and tropical root crops)
15. Post Harvest
Losses
Damage by Temperature
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All fresh produce is subject to damage when
exposed to extremes of temperature.
Freezing injury
Chilling injury
High temperature injury
16. Post Harvest
Losses
Remedial Measures To Control Post Harvest
Losses
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Chlorination
Optimum temperature
Pre-cooling
Waxing
Role of ethylene in the post harvest life
Proper handling, Packaging and Marketing
Irradiation
VHT (Vapour heat treatment)
17. Post Harvest
Losses
Let Us Sum Up
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Fruits and vegetables are perishable in nature.
Produce is easily attacked by fungi and or
bacteria causing diseases.
Produce is damaged by physical or mechanical
factors and become susceptible to various causes
to be spoiled easily.
Losses can be prevented by proper post
harvest handling.
Treatments like pre-cooling, chlorination, irradiation,
vapour heat treatment, waxing, proper temperature
management etc. may be applied for value addition.
