How much food do we really lose to wastage? These food wastes due to inefficient postharvest handling can cost the world lots of money annually and depriving millions of hungry mouths throughout the world. Food supply coming from farming and agro-based products is at the moment inadequate to meet the ever increasing food requirements of the world. This module focuses on the different practices, principles and techniques involved in organic postharvest handling of agronomic and horticultural crops to improve profitability of a farm enterprise.

Postharvest Handling of Fresh Produce

• Postharvest management: best practices and simple, low-cost technologies and innovations to reduce losses, enhance quality and food safety, and improve profitability of the farmers
• Value chain approach: from production to consumption, including harvesting, farm factors, packinghouse operations, packaging, storage, handling in markets and at home
• Postharvest handling is the final stage in the process of producing high quality fresh produce. Being able to maintain a level of freshness from the field to the dinner table presents many challenges. A grower, who can meet these challenges, will be able to expand the marketing opportunities and be better able to compete in the marketplace.

Definition of Terms:

Post Production – general term applied to the handling of crops from harvest up to the time they reach the consumer.

Postharvest handling – is a specific term used for the movement of commodities and the operation commodities undergo immediately prior to food processing. It focuses on primary processing.

Primary processing – involves the handling of produce to make them more suitable for manufacturers or consumers.

Postharvest horticulture – the systematic study of harvested horticultural crops and their response to the postharvest environment.

Postharvest life – the period from harvest up to the time the produce can still be used for its intended purpose, either as food (for fruits and vegetables) or decoration (for florist crop)

Post storage life – time that the commodity will last after storage regardless of usage.