Farmers thrashing their beans in Uganda. PHOTO/MICHAEL J SSALI
As much as 37 percent of food produced in Sub-Saharan Africa is lost between production and consumption, according to the 2011 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates.
The estimates for cereals are reported to be 20.5 percent. Uganda’s post-harvest losses are estimated to range from 20 to 45 percent.
The losses are said to be mainly caused by insect infestation, moulding, change in appearance, sprouting, mixture of varieties, presence of shriveled grains, and presence of aflatoxins in food. The World Bank defines post-harvest loss as the degradation of food in both quantity and quality from production to consumption.
Quality losses include those that affect the nutrient caloric composition, acceptability and edibility of a given product.
Throughout the harvesting period of any crop, food loss in Uganda is unacceptably high. Crops often stay in the field for too long after they show signs of maturity.
Bean pods burst and the beans spill down in the field. More beans get lost during transportation from the field to the store.
Most smallholder farmers don’t have good stores or improved storage techniques. For example only a very small percentage of farming households have refrigerators to keep perishable food crops like vegetables and fruits.
It is difficult to store semi-perishables like potatoes, cassava, carrots, and onions.
Rats and domestic animals are among the leading causes of post-harvest loss. Usually, local chickens which graze freely around the farming household feed on grain such as maize or millet placed on mats to dry under the sun.
Goats eat cassava laid under the sun in the compound. Sometimes post-harvest losses are due to unpredictable weather conditions.
All farmers want to dry their crops under the sun to the recommended moisture content. However sometimes it rains for extended periods and the crops get discoloured or shriveled and much less attractive to the buyers and consumers.
Some perishable crops like vegetables and fruits should be protected from strong sunlight, yet their quick transportation to the market is not always available.
Some people climb fruit trees like mangoes and shake the branches to cause ripe fruits to fall on the ground. But many of them crack or get bruised and become unattractive to the buyers. Transportation of food crops must be fast and secure.
Michael J. Ssali is a veteran journalist.
