What are the types of losses in postharvest?

What are the types of losses in postharvest?

Postharvest loss includes the food loss across the food supply chain from harvesting of crop until its consumption [9]. The losses can broadly be categorized as weight loss due to spoilage, quality loss, nutritional loss, seed viability loss, and commercial loss [11].

What are the stages of post-harvest?

Diagram 2. Stages of a whole post-harvest system

What are the four causes of losses of fruits and vegetables?

Common causes of postharvest losses are diverse, but the most common are overripening, disease, harvesting when the fruit is too immature, and mechanical damage. Studies of postharvest losses of vegetables identified losses in the range of 20 to 40%. Cabbage losses were amongst the highest, at 20 to 30%.

What are the effect of post-harvest losses?

Post-Harvest Loss (PHL) has potential effects on food security and nutrition through the four dimensions of food security: Availability, Access, Utilization and Stability. Reduced losses increase access and availability. Reduced on-farm losses help farmers by improving diet or providing higher incomes.

What are the 5 signs that crops are ready for harvest?

2.1 Harvest handling

• Skin colour: This factor is commonly applied to fruits, since skin colour changes as fruit ripens or matures.
• Optical methods: Light transmission properties can be used to measure the degree of maturity of fruits.
• Shape:
• Size:
• Aroma:
• Fruit opening:
• Leaf changes:
• Abscission:

How do you minimize post-harvest losses?

Here, Deltsidis offers six pointers in the postharvest process that if you employ, can help you avoid suffer major losses.

1. Assess Maturity.
2. Check Your Water Quality.
3. Check Your Water Temperature.
4. Avoid Injury.
5. Keep Your Produce Cool.
6. Proper Storage.

How do you solve post harvest losses?

What is post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables?

Alao [2] defined Post harvest loss of fruits and vegetables as “that weight of wholesome edible product (exclusive of moisture content) that is normally consumed by human and that has been separated from the medium and sites of its immediate growth and production by deliberate human action with the intention of using …

Why is it important to understand postharvest losses?

Proper management of post-harvest systems can serve as a major help in resolving various social and economic issues. A significant decrease in post-harvest loss can alleviate food insecurity all over the world. Simultaneously, food safety can be ensured by protecting commodities from mold growth and contamination.

What are the 5 factors for timely harvesting of fruits?

While the major factor determining the time of harvest is the maturity of the crop, other factors such as weather, availability of harvest equipment, pickers, packing and storage facilities, and transport are important considerations.

How can we reduce the post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables?

Fresh chain practices and post-harvest losses

1. Correct practices.
2. Harvesting at correct maturity.
3. Handling & transportation.
4. Sorting and grading.
5. Removal of field heat (pre-cooling)
6. Storage under correct conditions.

What are the types of harvesting?

In general, these are the three different harvesting methods that take place when harvesting fruits and vegetables:

• Hand Harvesting.
• Harvesting with Hand Tools.
• Harvesting with Machinery.

How can you minimize post-harvest losses?

Training farmers on post-harvest handling and storage of the crops they handle is key to reducing food losses. For example, skills in timing of harvest, crop drying, moisture management and safe storage are essential skills that many farmers in developing countries do not have.

What time of day is best to harvest fruit?

Nighttime harvest can provide fruit that retains significantly better internal and external quality: sugars, acids, flavor compounds, color, firmness, etc. Even the mechanical act of separating fruit from stem or pruning can be easier at night, when the crop plant and its parts are less stressed.

What are the three different harvesting methods?

Harvesting processes Reaping – cutting the mature panicles and straw above ground. Threshing – separating the paddy grain from the rest of cut crop. Cleaning – removing immature, unfilled, non-grain materials. Hauling – moving the cut crop to the threshing location.

Why is harvesting done at night?

To lower temperatures. One of the most obvious reasons to make a harvest at night is because when the harvest season starts it is still summer and it is hot. It is during the night when temperatures drop and workers can make their harvest better and without risks.

Why do farmers leave a strip of corn?

Standing Strips: These strips were left because the corn was chopped. Some were left because the corn was infected with Aspergillus, which can produce aflatoxin and affect quality. Four row strips bring questions from those wondering why the corn is still there.

What is meant by post harvest loss?

Definition of Post-Harvest Loss. Post-harvest loss can define as the loss from the stage of harvesting to the stage of consumption which occurs as a result of qualitative loss, quantitative loss and the food waste (by the consumers) altogether.

What are the main problems in the post harvest chain?

Losses of horticultural produce are a major problem in the post-harvest chain. They can be caused by a wide variety of factors, ranging from growing conditions to handling at retail level.

What factors affect post-harvest losses?

There are numerous factors affecting post-harvest losses, from the soil in which the crop is grown to the handling of produce when it reaches the shop. Pre-harvest production practices may seriously affect post-harvest returns. Plants need a continuous supply of water for photosynthesis and transpiration.

What is the true extent of post-harvest losses of maize?

The true extent of post-harvest losses is the subject of some dispute as they are difficult to measure accurately. In Africa, post-harvest losses of maize from harvest to market sale are believed to amount to around 10-20%.