This document summarizes Olusegun Falade's presentation on innovative technologies for post-harvest issues in agriculture. The presentation covers: objectives of post-harvest technologies to reduce losses and increase shelf life; the typical agricultural value chain; main causes of post-harvest losses; post-harvest procedures and associated hazards; and innovative strategies and technologies to combat losses for fruits/vegetables, fish, grains, and other commodities. These include technologies like transafeliners, refrigerated vans, packing bins, solar dryers, hermetic storage, and improved storage bags and bottles. The presentation emphasizes identifying problems, available solutions, and evaluating impacts across the post-harvest chain while understanding markets.

1. Innovative technologies for post-
harvest issues
28.08.19
Presented By: Olusegun Falade
(GM, Golden Agri Input, FMN)
At
The African Magazine
Agribusiness Summit 2019

2. 2
• BACKGROUND
• OBJECTIVES
• THE TYPICAL AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAIN
• MAIN CATEGORIES OF CAUSES OF POSTHARVEST LOSSES
• POSTHARVEST PROCEDURES - ASSOCIATED HAZARD
• INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES/TECHNOLOGIES THAT COMBAT POSTHARVEST LOSSES
• FINAL CONSIDERATION- PRODUCE QUALITY MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCING
Outline

3. 3
Post harvest losses refer to the quantitative loss of food that occur during food value chain operations that
does not reach intended consumers.
Nigeria loses more than N2.7 trillion yearly from post-harvest food losses and presently, post-harvest food
losses for grains, roots and tubers, fruits and vegetable, livestock and fisheries, and many more are about 15,
35, 50, and 30 per cent, respectively.
According to many studies, farmers have been losing between 30% and 40% of the value of their fruits and
vegetables before they reach the final consumer. 1–8 These losses are observed at harvesting, during packing,
transportation, in wholesale and retail markets, and during delays at different stages of handling.
Prevention and reduction of Post Harvest Losses is not only a goal in itself that is only tied to food security.
Background

4. 4
Objectives for Post Harvest Technologies
TO REDUCE LOSS IN QUANTITY
OR QUALITY AND NUTRITIVE
VALUE OF FARM PRODUCE
TO INCREASE THE SHELF LIFE
OF PRODUCE AND MAINTAIN
GOOD QUALITY (COLOR, TASTE,
FLAVOR AND AROMA)
TO KEEP THE FRUITS OR
VEGETABLES OR COMMODITY
FREE FROM INSECT AND PEST
TO GET FOOD ESPECIALLY
SEASONAL VEGETABLES AND
FRUITS FRESH ALL THE YEAR
ROUND

5. 5
The typical Agricultural Value Chain
Production Aggregation
Storage /
Distribution
Manufacturing /
Packaging
Wholesale &
Retail Markets
Consumer
Supply Chain
Post Harvest

6. 6
Main Categories of causes of postharvest losses (%)
Investment capacity
Processing capacity
Quality standards & Control
Post harvest R&D
Market information
Infrastructure
Packaging
Post harvest product handling
Storage facilities
Transport climate control

7. 7
Post Harvest Procedures – Associated Hazards
Harvesting
 Inappropriate maturity at harvest (over ripening increases
sensitivity to quality decay in case of fruits; moisture level in
grains.
 Inappropriate harvest technique (mechanical damages-physical
injuries).
 Climatic conditions at harvesting (free water, exposition of
product to direct sun light )
 Harvesting wet products (increase sensitivity to quality decay)
 Inappropriate harvesting recipes/containers ( physical injuries).

8. 8
Post Harvest Procedures – Associated Hazards
 Uncovered areas (direct exposition of produce to unconducive
climatic conditions).
 Inappropriate handling of the product during loading and unloading.
 Inappropriate produce heaping (mechanical damages).
 Timings in the operations (if conditions are inappropriate they can
generate increasing product temperature and quality decay).
 Lack of planning during harvesting (increase delays in the
operations).
Produce reception

9. 9
Post Harvest Procedures – Associated Hazards
 Inappropriate pile up during packing.
 Packing products with different degree of maturity.
 Mechanical damages caused by personnel or improper
design of mechanical grading machines.
 Lack of control of temperature and Relative Humidity
conditions
 Control of pests and insects infestation during storage
Storage

10. 10
Post Harvest Procedures – Associated Hazards
 Distance from Farm to Market considering the poor road network
 Inappropriate systems of loading and unloading.
 Uncovered vehicles, expose the product to the negative effect of the
environmental conditions.
 Poor control of temperature and relative humidity in the transport
systems.
 Inappropriate systems of packing (p.e. in bulk).
 Poor cushioning systems of the vehicles.
Transport

11. 11
Innovative Strategies/Technologies that combat Post Harvest Losses
Fruits & Vegetables
Transafeliner
Protects and preserves the quality of dry
agricultural commodities shipped in bags or in
pallets inside a shipping container.
Zero energy storage structure
Refrigerated Van
Cold insulation for perishable produce - vegetables

12. 12
Packing Bins
They were developed for harvesting, storage,
cooling, and transportation of produce from the
field to the packing shed
Crates

13. Fish and fish Products
Innovative Strategies/Technologies that combat Post Harvest Losses
Some of the irregularities
associated with the local
method of smoking has been
taken care of with the
development of a smoking
kiln
Solar Dryers

14. 14
Innovative Strategies/Technologies that combat Post Harvest Losses
Grains / Cereals, pulses & Oil seeds
Transafeliner
Protects and
preserves the quality
of dry agricultural
commodities shipped
in bags or in pallets
inside a shipping
container.
Silo Bags
Hermetic storage is an
ancient technology used to
control insect infestation in
grain and preserve its
nutrient quality and caloric
value.
Silos

15. 15
Innovative Strategies/Technologies that combat Post Harvest Losses
New Improved Storage bottles for pulses and oil seeds
In sale…
Corrugated fibreboard packaging for tropical fruits.

16. 16
Innovative Strategies/Technologies that combat Post Harvest Losses
New Improved Storage Bags

17. 17
Benefits of using ZeroFly for grain dealers
• Protect products from all external infestations in storage and transport s for a prolonger period up to 1 year.
• All grains 100% safe just after one only initial fumigation (to ensure no presence of live insects, larvae and eggs
inside the bags).
• Provides an early barrier to insects trying to penetrate the bags along the entire supply chain (benefit
transferred up to end consumers).
• Eliminate any risk of cross-contamination between bags in case of presence of live insects/larvae inside the
bags even after the initial fumigation.
• Breaking the reproductive cycle of the insects, already after few rotations eradicates insect presence in the
entire warehouse providing long term benefits also for other commotities stored.

18. 18
Provide a trouble free storage
experience preventing clients
complaints and rejection of
consignements due to insects
presence in the products;

19. 19
Final Considerations - Produce quality maintenance and enhancing
To identify the problems (main causes) and their magnitude (quality and physical loses). Also to
identify the opportunities associated to the post-harvest technologies.
Search the available and practical solutions that can work to the problems identified or mechanisms
to take advantage of the opportunities - training, application of available technologies, adjustment
and validation of technologies if needed, practical research if need.
To evaluate the impact of environmental, human and technological factors during the post-harvest
chain.
Understand your value chain and most importantly your market.

20. Thank You