Description
ABSTRACT
Leafy vegetables offer both nutritional benefits and great economic potentials in boosting food security,yet their perishable nature may lead to huge post-harvest losses and food insufficiency. The study assessed post-harvest losses among leafy vegetable farmers in Yenagoa LGA of Beyelsa State. It describes the socio-economic characteristics of the leafy vegetable farmers, causes of post-harvest losses of leafy vegetables In conclusion,wrong storage techniques, bad roads and perishable nature of leafy vegetables were the most significant causes of post-harvest losses. Hence, extension officers should encourage farmers to use the best storage practice;government should make rural roads accessible for easy transportation of vegetables and marketers should buy the quantity of vegetables they can sell in a day at a time.
TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
- AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
- REVIEW OF THE STUDY
- LEAF VEGETABLES
- PRESERVATION OF POST HARVEST QUALITY OF LEAFY
- REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES
- CAUSES OF POST-HARVEST LOSSES VARY WIDELY
- CRITICAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POST HARVEST LOSS
- CRITICAL FACTORS GOVERNING PHL AND WASTE IN DEVELOPED AND LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
- TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES TO REDUCE POST-HARVEST LOSSES
- IMPACTS OF PHL AND FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
- STUDY AREA
- SOURCES OF DATA
- SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
- DATA COLLECTION
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT ANALYSIS
4.1. RESULT ANALYSIS
4.2 ESTIMATED POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN WATER LEAF AND UGU
4.3 FACTORS AFFECTING POST-HARVEST LOSSES AT FARM LEVEL
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
- CONCLUSION
- RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES
Chapter one
1.0 Introduction
Outputs of all agricultural commodities produced in the field have to undergo a series of operations such as threshing,transportation,processing,storage and exchange before they reach the consumer, and there are appreciable losses of outputs during these stages of their handling.The sum quantity of outputs lost in these operations at all of these stages is referred to as“post harvest losses”.The seriousness of the problem of post-harvest losses has been discussed at several books both at national and international levels. Many studies have been conducted for estimating the post-harvest losses particularly in the developed countries.However, the importance of post-harvest losses in agricultural commodities is not fully recognised in developing countries where agricultural production is not fully linked with marketing.The number of scientists involved in production research in these countries is significantly higher than those concerned with post-harvest losses in agricultural commodities.It is distressing to note that so much time is being devoted to the culture of the plant, so much money is spent on irrigation, fertilisers and crop protection measures, but little attention is paid and resources devoted to the issues related with post-harvest losses resulting in failure to meet food requirement of the hungry millions. The wastage of agricultural commodities would mean not only monetary loss but also destabilisation of the economy and a decline in the nutritional standards that is already low in developing countries(FAO, 2010).
In perishable crops like fruits and vegetables,proper and scientific storage,packaging,transport and handling technologies are not adequate and hence,considerable amount of produce is wasted.The vegetable crops because of their moisture content are inherently more liable for deterioration in quality and quantity especially under tropical conditions.More over, they are biologically active and carryout transpiration,respiration,ripening and other biochemical activities,which contribute for deterioration in quality of the produce.Post-harvest losses in vegetables during post-harvest operations due to improper handling and storage are enormous. Gauraha (1997) reported that the post-harvest loss in vegetables ranges from 5.42 per cent in the case of bottle gourd to 32.64 per cent in the case of tomato.Post-harvest losses can occur in the field,in packing areas,in storage,during transportation and in the wholesale and retail markets. Severe losses occur because of poor facilities, lack of know-how, poor management and improper market facilities or due to careless handling of the produce by farmers, market intermediaries and consumers. It is,therefore,important that the post-harvest practices be given as much attention as production practices.
The study on post-harvest losses in vegetables at various stages of handling would help in assessing the extent and magnitude of losses and in identifying the factors responsible for such losses.This in turn would help in developing proper measures to reduce post-harvest losses at different stages from production point to consumption point.Under the circumstances, the reduction in post-harvest losses can help in increasing the availability of vegetables to a great extent without increasing the production.In the absence of reliable and objective estimates of post-harvest losses at different stages, the ways to evolve correct policies for minimising such losses is more difficult.Very few studies have attempted to assess the extent of post-harvest losses in horticultural crops.The present study attempts to estimate the post-harvest losses of major vegetable crops in Karnataka.The information on the extent of losses at various stages is important not only for scientists and technologists but it would also be useful to policy makers,administrators and industrialists.The scientists and technologists would be guided by the findings of such studies in carrying out improvements in the crop production and post-harvest technologies aimed at minimizing these losses.The planners and the policy makers would be guided by the findings of such studies in formulating suitable policies that will help in reducing the post-harvest losses (Ezell et al., 2019).
1.1 Background to the study
Vegetable are highly perishable except under intensive care during harvest, handling and transportation. There can also be losses in quality as measured both by the price obtained and the nutritional values as well as in quantity.
Farmers are forced to sell their product at giveaway prices due to absence of adequate storage income goes to the waste bins.
Estimate of production losses in developing countries are usually very hard to come by. Post-harvest losses in vegetable in Africa countries have been estimated to about 50% of the total production food and agricultural organization implies that half of the total productions are lost during storage handling and transportation of their produce. Therefore minimizing these losses to a large extent between harvest and consumption of already produce food is more sustainable than increasing production (Kader and Roll 2014)
Post-harvest losses are caused by mechanicals injuries, inadequate storage, unsuitable handling, faculty system of transport and delayed transportation in retail market. Green vegetable refer to all leafy vegetable predominantly green in colour which can be eaten boiled or in soups. They have achieved tremendous popularity over the last century among local trader. Besides being tasty the green vegetables as they are good source vitamin A and C. they are low calories and fasts, high in protein per calories, dietary, fiber, iron and calcium. They have a very short life span.
They have high economic values
1.2 Problem statements
A very little is known about the production and consumption pattern of Africa leafy vegetable. The FAO/WHO consultation on diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases (2013) recommended a minimum daily intake of fruit and vegetables of proper functioning. Emphasis should therefore be laid, not only on increased production of vegetables but also on ways to minimize these post-harvest losses so as to bridge the gap existing in the recommended requirement.
1.3 Aim and objectives of the study
The aim of this study is to study the economic analysis on post harvest losses among leavy vegetable farmers in yenagoa LGA of bayelsa state. The specific objectives of the study are:
- To measure the extent of post-harvest losses in the selected vegetables at different stages.
- To study the factors affecting post-harvest losses at the farm level.
- To estimate the physical losses and corresponding financial values of post harvest losses in green vegetables in yenagoa LGA of bayelsa state.
- Examine the socio-economic characteristics of green vegetable farmers in the study area.
1.4 Research Questions
In order to ensure good quality vegetable with high economic and marketable potentials, certain question must be addressed;
- What are factors responsible for post-harvest losses in green vegetables?
- What are the economic implications of these losses?
- What are the ways of reducing these losses?
1.5 Justification for the study
Since vegetable plays a great role in the body and in the society, and green vegetable “promote Healthy Nutritional balance as they are good source of vitamin A and C”, therefore the method of producing them should be a relevant subject to the studied and also to the farmer. It is hoped that the information obtained from this study will help government and policy makers to address the problem of economic analysis of post-harvest losses among leafy vegetable farmers and it uses of consumers.
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 CONCLUSIONS
The post-harvest losses occur due to faulty methods of harvesting, threshing,cleaning, drying, storage, transportation, processing, packaging and distribution of agricultural commodities. The present study at tempted to estimate post-harvest losses in two major vegetables grown in Yenagoa. The total post-harvest loss in water leaf and ugu leaf at the field level was estimated to be respectively 6.21kg/qtl and 7.34 kg/qtl. Further 1.85 kg/qtl and 2.22 kg/qtl of the output losses were observed at the wholesale level in water leaf and ugu, respectively, accounting for 17.75 percent and 17.12 per cent.The loss at the retail level was to the tune of 2.36 kg/qtl (22.65per cent) and 3.41 kg/qtl (26.29 per cent) in water leaf and ugu, respectively.Thus,about 60 per cent of total post-harvest losses occur at the farm level and about 25 percent losses are observed at retailing level.The per hectare post-harvest loss at the farm level was assessed to be 2.88 qtl in the case of water leaf and 3.64 qtl in the case of ugu. The per farm post-harvest loss was assessed to be 7.34 quintals in the case ofwaterleafand5.72quintalsinthecaseofugu.Thestoragelossatdifferentstagesadded up to about 38 per cent of the total loss while on farm harvest operations accounted for about 17 per cent of total losses.Transit loss was another important component of post-harvest loss contributing about 25 per cent of the total loss. The functional analysis revealed that inadequate storage and inadequate transportation activities coupled with bad weather conditions positively and significantly influenced the post-harvest losses at the farm level.
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
The establishment of small sized cold storage units in the production centres would help in reducing the storage losses in vegetables. In this direction the zero energy cool chambers technology developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research needs to be popularized.
