Reduction of Post-Harvest Losses in agricultural supply chains: A field study in Ghana

Purpose of this paper: Post-Harvest Loss (PHL) is defined as a loss in edible parts of food products originally intended for human consumption but not consumed due to alterations in their physical-chemical or organoleptic characteristics. Reducing post-harvest losses would not only boost agricultural output but also “save” land which is particularly important considering limited arable land available in various countries (Claes et al., 2021). The purpose of this research are as follows: 1. Identify relevant crops in Ghana to reduce PHL 2. Analyse the extent of PHL for the specific crops 3. Identify supply chain related interventions to reduce PHL for the above crops 4. Develop an integrated framework considering people-process-technology to reduce PHL in Ghana Methodology: Secondary research was conducted to collect data on annual yield and PHL in various vegetables in Ghana. This was followed by interviews with local agricultural entrepreneurs and experts to identify the relevant crops for the purpose of this research. A detailed process mapping and baseline assessment of PHL for the supply chains are currently in progress. Reasons of PHL for the specific crops will be identified based on the field studies and interviews. Some relevant interventions related to post harvest storage, packaging and transportation, use of sensors and tracking devices and online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers have been identified from the literature. An integrated framework and capabilities needed to reduce PHL for the specific crops will be created with potential applicability for other crops with similar perishability and supply chain characteristics. Findings: The secondary analysis followed by expert interviews helped us in identifying tomatoes, onion and okra as the three vegetables with high potential to reduce PHL. Farmer reported PHL is 27% for tomatoes (Suggri, et al., 2021). The highest loss is in transportation, accounting for 37.8% and harvesting accounting for 18.5% of the total PHL for tomatoes. For onions, PHL is estimated to be 27.3% PHL (Suggri, et al., 2021) and according to farmers, maximum PHL is during storage, accounting to 79% of the total loss. Okra is a particularly relevant crop as it is a native African vegetable and is vital in Ghanaian diets. The stage-wise PHL show that the losses are concentrated at the harvesting stage accounting to 77% of the total loss according to farmer perceptions (Ridolfi et al., 2018). This happens because fresh okra pods bruise easily, blackening within a few hours. Thus, there is potential to reduce PHL by focusing on transportation and harvesting for tomatoes, storage for onions and on harvesting for okras. Value: The paper in its final form is expected to identify specific supply chain interventions which can reduce PHL for the three studied crops in Ghana and report about their deployments and potential challenges. Such detailed study of agricultural supply chains particularly in the context of sub-Saharan Africa is scarce.