Post-harvest losses eroding farmer gains—study
A study on the impact of post-harvest losses in rice and legumes production as well as storage has found that farmers are losing more economic gains from their produce.
The study, whose findings were released by the African Institute for Corporate Citizenship (Aicc), was instituted to establish the status of post-harvest losses and storage under Malawi Agriculture Partnership Phase II.
The study found that maximum post-harvest losses in rice were at 27.1 percent followed by soybean at 20.6 percent, common beans 14.8 percent and minimum in groundnuts at 12 percent.
Mostly, according to the findings, storage remains a challenge for legumes due to the use of non-recommended facilities such as ordinary bags and storing in farmers’ houses.
Read the study findings in part: “AICC realises that some of the excessive deficits in food items or financial loss in the country should not have occurred if post-harvest losses were reduced through proper handling, processing and preservation from harvest to consumption.”
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Gray Nyandule
Phiri recently acknowledged the problem of post-harvest losses, saying government was working with farmers to embrace new storage technologies such as the pics bags.
According to the World Bank, the primary role of an effective post-harvest system is to ensure that the harvested food reaches the consumer while fulfilling customer satisfaction in terms of quality, volume and safety.
