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Postharvest loss in fruit and vegetables markets in Samoa
Book chapter   Peer reviewed

Postharvest loss in fruit and vegetables markets in Samoa

Steven J R Underhill, S Sherzad, Yuchan Zhou, Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni and S M Tagoai
Food Security in Small Island States, Volume 9, pp.111-132
Springer UK
2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8256-7_7
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https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8256-7_7View
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Abstract

Horticultural Production Crop and Pasture Production Marketing food security postharvest loss food waste horticulture Samoa
Postharvest loss is of particular importance in small Polynesian nations such as Samoa, due to declining smallholder participation in agriculture, a greater reliance on food imports, and wider dietary-based population health concerns. Efforts to remediate loss is currently being impeded by little information as to the current levels of horticultural loss in Samoa or the factors contributing to this loss. In this study, we quantified the commercial postharvest loss of 23 horticultural crops at the Fugalei central municipal market on the Island of Upolu Island, Samoa, using direct weighing. The mean postharvest loss was further determined in all six municipal, community and private fruit and vegetable markets on the Samoan Islands of Upolu and Savai'i using vendor and farmer-trader surveys. Postharvest horticultural loss in the Fugalei municipal market was 6.2% (determined by weight) and 13.3% (based on vendor recall). There was no significant difference between the mean postharvest loss in fruits compared to vegetables. The highest level of daily postharvest loss (5-22%) was observed for soursop, papaya, Tahitian lime, mustard cabbage and choko. Negligible loss (<1%) was observed in limes, vi (Spondias dulcis), eggplant, long bean, soa'a (plantains), lemon, cherry tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, ginger. The level of postharvest loss varied across the municipal, village and roadside markets surveyed, with higher losses in non-urban markets. There was no significant difference in the level of postharvest loss between any of the three urban markets in the Apia region. With most horticultural production located less than 20 km from the municipal market and little evidence of in-transit damage, transport logistics were unlikely to be an important contributor to loss. Low and sporadic consumer purchasing behaviour resulting in protracted market storage at high tropical ambient temperatures was the central contributor to observed losses. The potential importance of low consumer purchasing activity and the proportion of commercial vendor to transient farmer-trader in each of the markets is discussed in terms of being a possible contributing factor to the resulting levels of postharvest loss and market variability.

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