Abstract:
Vegetable postharvest losses are high in Africa and it has been estimated at about 50% of
the total production. This implies that half of the total production is lost during storage,
handling and transportation and at home. Postharvest loss management is expensive in
terms of cost and labor. The main aim of this study is to make a comprehensive attempt to
uncover the causes, extent and determinants of postharvest losses and its economic
implications to various actors operating in the supply chain of potato in Kombolcha
Woreda. The primary data for this study were collected from124 producers, 123
consumers and 20 traders. The analyses employed descriptive and econometric model.
The findings of this study showed that the postharvest loss of potato in production year of
2014/2015 in the study area was11.88% and 2.2%, for producers and trader respectively.
Furthermore, the gross margin result after postharvest loss was much lower than the
gross margin without loss. More postharvest loss incurred by the producers and traders
showed the great extent to which postharvest losses reduced the income of the producers
and traders. Finally, The simple multiple linear regression model was run to identify
factors affecting postharvest loss of potato, the result shows that postharvest loss of
potato significantly and positively affected by quantity of harvest, rain at harvesting time
distance from farm to market and storage period, and where as age of the household
head, availability of labor and , working experience affect negatively. Therefore, these
variables require special attention from government and stockholders with developing
strategies for minimizing postharvest loss through training and workshops. Furthermore
improving infrastructural facility of the study area should be mandatory for potato
production and marketing to be increased without severe loss.
