AGSC 60

Post harvest Handling and Technology of Fruits and Vegetables

LABORATORY EXERCISE 1 ANSWER SHEET

POSTHARVEST LOSS ASSESSMENT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE LOCAL

MARKET

Name: Rato, John Khenry M. Date: 10/13/2023

Year & Section: BAE 3-1 APT

POSTHARVEST LOSS ASSESSMENT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE LOCAL

MARKET

I. Introduction

Food losses in developing countries like the Philippines occurs even before
consumption, as it were accounted primarily from the production, post harvest procedure,
storage, and marketing of agricultural produce (Manalili et al., 2014). A substantial
percentage of post harvest losses may occur between harvesting up to consumption
(Hayatu, 2000). Generally, post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables are affected by
various factors such as physical, physiological, environmental, and mechanical conditions.
Fruits and vegetables are predominantly characterized by their high metabolic activities,
resulting in shorter shelf life. Thus, proper post harvest handling and practices are essential
to minimize post harvest losses and to further address food security and increase farmers’
profit.

II. Learning Objectives

At the end of this laboratory exercise, the student should be able to:
1. Familiarize the different fruits and vegetables available in the market based on the
locality and availability.
2. Distinguish the different post harvest losses occurring during harvesting up to
marketing of different produce.
3. Determine the problems and issues encountered by the market retailers in the
procurement of harvested produce.
4. Recommend some practical measures to minimize post harvest losses of harvested
produce.
III. Materials

1. Survey questionnaire form (Appendix 1)

2. Video and voice recorder
3. Pen, marker, and bond paper
4. Selected fruits and vegetables available at the market

IV. Procedure

1. Proceed to the nearest local market or commercial stand of fruit and vegetables in
your locality.
2. Select two (2) to four (4) fruit and/or vegetable trader or retailer to conduct the survey
interview.
3. Kindly ask the trader or retailer for the listed questionnaires based on their marketed
produce, specifically the major post harvest losses incurred.
4. State the importance of minimizing post harvest losses of harvested fruits and
vegetables.
5. Purchase fruits and vegetables for your groups’ assessment.

V. Study questions

1. What are the major causes of post harvest loss of fruit and vegetables in the local
market? Enumerate.
2. Why is there a need to identify these causes and what are the possible solutions to
solve such problems?
3. In your own idea, how will you minimize the aforementioned post harvest losses of
fruits and vegetables?

VI. Appendix 1 (Survey Questionnaire Form)

Date of the Interview: 10/10/2023 Trader/Retailer Number: Confidential

Full name of the Retailer: Remedios Pena Age/Sex/: 65 / Female
Residential Address: __________ Location of the market: Public Market Indang

Major fruits and/or vegetables marketed (List down):

1. Raw vegetables that are ready to cook
2. Onion
3. Ginger
4. Squash
Kindly ask the retailer/s the following questions below:

1. How do you harvest your farm produce? Is it harvested directly from the farm or obtain
through middlemen?
 Their vegetables are sourced from different places, such as Kadiwa and Baguio.
They don't have crops but are supplied by suppliers.

2. What are the problems encountered during harvesting and transporting your farm produce?
 Based on the interview, I found out that what they usually encounter during
harvesting or during transportation to the supplier are different sizes or sometimes
rotten or rejected types of vegetables. There is almost nothing they can do but take
it because they say it can't be returned because the vegetable products come from
far away. All they do is sell them cheaply and give them to those who ask for them
or sometimes just feed them to their pets.

3. What are the packaging materials used in packing fruits and vegetables?
 Their usual packaging is plastic or paper bags.

4. Upon arrival at the market, what are your practices in marketing your produce?
 They have their own sales skills and the strategy to sell a product is sales talk and
laying out beautiful vegetables because that's what consumers want. When you
lay out vegetables ugly, a consumer will not enjoy them.

5. What are the common causes of post harvest losses of your marketed produce?
 It is inevitable to have rotting vegetables. Vegetables have an expiration date and
they rot if they cannot be sold, but the others, when they are about to rot, the price
will drop or they will be fed to their pets.

6. How do you dispose of your unmarketable/rejected fruits and vegetables?

 In his vegetable shop, there is someone who disposes of it, but let's not ask what
he is doing with the disposed vegetables.

7. What practices can you recommend in minimizing these post harvest losses to further
increase your profit?
 In doing business, it is said that losses cannot be avoided, especially nowadays
when the price of vegetables is high. In order to increase the income, it may be
necessary to lower the price of vegetables so that the vendors can keep up with
the sales.
Documentation:

VII. References

Hayatu, M. 2000. Post-Harvest physiological studies of some selected members of family

Solanaceae. Kano, p. 2-25.

Manalili N.M., Dorado, M.A., Otterdijk R. 2014. Appropriate Food Packaging Solutions for
Developing Countries, Rome, p. 30. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3684e.pdf.

Nuevo P.A., Apaga A.R., 2010. Technology Reducing Postharvest Losses and Maintaining
Quality of Fruits and Vegetables (Philippines). 2010 AARDO Workshop on Technology on
Reducing Postharvest Losses and Maintaining Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, pp. 154-
167.

Postharvest handling and technology of fruits and vegetables. Chapter Module