WVC advices on addressing post- harvest loss
LOCAL government authorities should consider identifying areas whereby aggregation space can be put up to help farmers and traders in vegetables store their products, a move aimed at tackling the challenge of post-harvest loss.
The call is part of the key takeaway side event of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 under the title ‘Innovative technologies to reduce post-harvest loss’ which took place at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.
Director General for the World Vegetable Center, Dr Marco Wopereis who was among the panelists during the session was keen to note that inputs from municipalities was critical taking into account that aggregation needs space, therefore local governments could help to identify such areas.
“One important aspect to note is that vegetables have easier perishability, therefore a lot of efforts can be made…if earlier decisions are not made everything may be lost,” said Dr Wopereis.
He singled out that organizational innovation was key to helping farmers produce what they can sell rather than trying to sell what they happen to produce.
“One thing we are working on is aggregation centres so that farmers together can have a space where they can store, sort, clean, and label their products. Perhaps an area whereby they can temporarily store their vegetables in cold areas and market, the whole trick is to harmonize production and marketing to reduce post-harvest losses,” stressed the DG.
He cited the case of leafy vegetables whereas if the harvest does not go through to the consumer on the same day it may end up being lost.
Thus, with cold storage, the vegetables may last for a day but not for much longer, indicating that producers have to know where they can market the product after harvesting
He pinpointed some of the best practices from Asia consisting of wholesale markets acquiring rental space whereby traders can store their vegetables and sell them in the coming day rather than just giving them up to rot.
Besides, the wholesale markets were places where farmers could sleep at affordable prices so that they could sell their unfinished vegetables the next day.
Dr Wopereis also revealed that the beauty of vegetables is so powerful and obtains massive opportunities ranging from selling fresh vegetables to drying and grinding the leafy for future storage and use.
He said Africa including Tanzania can explore the potential by looking for the market and demand for dried leafy vegetables.
“Our goal is to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods…you cannot say that vegetables are healthy if they are full of pesticides. The center’s role is mainly to ensure vegetables are produced safely and locally in particular for every consumer so there is a need to think of bringing varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases,” he said.
