Estimating post-harvest loss at the farm level to enhance food security: A case of Nepal

Year 2019, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 127 - 136, 27.09.2019

Arun Gc Kiran Ghimire

https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2019.3.3

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Food security is a major concern of the world in the context of
increasing population, changing climate and declining scarce natural resources.
Reducing food loss is equally important as increasing food production and
productivity to feed the world, where 9.7 billion inhabitants were expected by
2050. Food loss can occur at several points along the food chain, however,
harvest loss at the farm level is often overlooked which is directly impacting
on sustainability. The paper attempts to estimate harvest loss at the farm
level. A household survey was executed in 300 households from ten sample
districts across Nepal. The percentage of harvest loss at the farm level was
calculated for each crop grown as per - the season, per plot and priority.
Likewise, the multiple regression was executed to determine the level of
influence of the socio-economic factors on the post-harvest loss at the farm
level for the major crops. The mean harvest loss at the farm level found around
5 percent for the reported crops. The multiple regression model demonstrated
that at the farm level, socio-economic factors might have a smaller influence
on harvest loss as compared to physical and biological contributing factors. Nevertheless,
reducing the post-harvest loss will increase food availability and thus the
food security.

Keywords

Food loss, Post-harvest Loss, Food Security, Sustainability, Nepal

References

• Baloch, U. (1999). WHEAT: Post-harvest Operations. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/inpho/docs/Post_Harvest_Compendium_-_WHEAT.pdf
• Bhandari, G., Achhami, B. B., Karki, T. B., Bhandari, B., & Bhandari, B. (2015). Survey on maize post-harvest losses and its management practices in the western hills of Nepal. Journal of Maize Research and Development, 1(1), 98-105. doi:10.5281/zenodo.34288
• Borma, A. (2017). Food Waste- A Global Problem. SEA - Practical Application of Science, V(15), 353-359. Retrieved from http://seaopenresearch.eu/Journals/articles/SPAS_15_4.pdf
• Boxall, R., & Gillett, R. (1984). Farm level storage losses in Eastern Nepal. Greenwich Academic Literature Archive. Retrieved 3 9, 2019, from https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/10776/1/Doc-0222.pdf
• Chen, X., Wu, L., Shan, L., & Zang, Q. (2018). Main Factors Affecting Fost-Harvest Grain Loss during the Sales Process: A Survey in Nine Provinces of China. Sustainability, 10(3). doi:10.3390/su10030661
• Devkota, M., Devkota, K., Acharya, S., Shrestha, R., & McDonald, A. (2018). Establishing the value of modern seed storage methods for wheat in diverse production ecologies in Nepal. Journal of Stored Products Research, 78, 71-76. doi:10.1016/j.jspr.2018.01.002
• FAO. (1998). Post-production grain losses. Retrieved 3 9, 2019, from Rice post-harvest e-mail conference draft summary - V.1.2: http://www.fao.org/3/X5427E/x5427e0a.htm
• FAO. (2019). Food Loss and Food Waste. Retrieved from Food Loss and Food Waste: http://www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/FAO. (2019b). SDG Indicator 12.3.1 - Global food losses. Retrieved 3 9, 2019, from Sustainable Development Goals: http://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/indicators/1231/en/
• GC, A., & Ghimire, K. (2018). A SWOT analysis of Nepalese agricultural policy. Int. J.Agric.Environ.FoodSci, 2(4), 119-123. doi:10.31015/jaefs.18020
• GC, A., & Yeo, J.-H. (2019). Perception to Adaptation of Climate Change in Nepal: An Empirical Analysis Using Multivariate Probit Model. Sci, 1(1). doi:10.3390/sci1010012.v1
• Global Strategy. (2015). A Review of Methods for Estimating Grain Post-Harvest Losses. Global Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.gsars.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WP-Review-of-Methods_for_estimating_grain-loss-160915.pdf
• Johnson, L., Dunning, R., Bloom, J., Gunter, C., Boyette, M., & Creamer, N. (2018). Estimating on-farm food loss at the field level: A methodology and applied case study on a North Carolina farm. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 137, 243-250. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.05.017
• Joshi, N., Maharjan, K., & Piya, L. (2011). Effect of climate variables on yield of major food-crops in Nepal -A time-series analysis-. Retrieved from https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35379/1/MPRA_paper_35379.pdf
• Kader, A., & Davis, U. (2009). Postharvest Losses of Fruits and Vegetables in Developing Countries: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved from http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/234-1479.pdf
• KC, G. (1992). On farm level pre-harvest and post-harvest food loss preventive system in Nepal. Kathmandu.
• Kumar, D., & Kalita, P. (2016). Reducing Postharvest Losses during Storage of Grain Crops to Strengthen Food Security in Developing Countries. 6(1). doi:10.3390/foods6010008
• Maharjan, K. L., & Khatri-Chettri, A. (2006). Household Food Security in Rural Areas of Nepal: Relationship between Socio-economic Characteristics and Food Security Status. 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25624. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/iaae06/25624.html
• Manandhar, A., Milindi, P., & Shah, A. (2018). An Overview of the Post-Harvest Grain Storage Practices of Smallholder Farmers in Developing Countries. Agriculture, 8(4). doi:10.3390/agriculture8040057
• Manandhar, D., & Mainali, B. (2000). Review of research on post harvest insect control in Nepal: Developing and disseminating technology to reduce post harvest losses in maize. Proceeding of a working group meeting of the Hill Maize Research Project. Kathmandu: Nepal Agriculture Research Council and CIMMYT.
• Manandhar, D., Ransom, J., & Rajbhandari, N. (2001). Developing and Disseminating Technology to Reduce Post-harvest Losses in Maize. Proceedings of a Working Group Meeting of the Hill Maize Research Project. Kathmandu: Nepal Agriculture Research Council and CIMMYT.
• McKenzie, T., Singh-Peterson, L., & Underhill, S. (2017). Quantifying Postharvest Loss and the Implication of Market-Based Decisions: A Case Study of Two Commercial Domestic Tomato Supply Chains in Queensland Australia. Horticulture, 3(3). doi:10.3390/horticulturae3030044
• MoALD. (2017). Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture. Kathmandu: Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives (MoALD), Government of Nepal.
• MoF. (2018). Economic Survey 2017/18. Kathmandu: Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of Nepal.
• NPC. (2018). Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index- Analysis towards action. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission (NPC), Government of Nepal.
• Paneru, R. B., Poudel, G., & Thapa, R. B. (2018). Determinants of post-harvest maize losses by pests in mid hills of Nepal. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Bioresearch, 3(1), 110-118.
• Paneru, R., Duwadi, V., Khanal, R., & Bhandari, M. (1996). Testing of the efficacy of some materials against weevil in stored maize. PAC working paper no. 139.
• Poudel, S., & Shaw, R. (2016). The Relationships between Climate Variability and Crop Yield in a Mountainous Environment: A Case Study in Lamjung District, Nepal. Climate, 4(1). doi:10.3390/cli4010013
• Pradhan, R., & Manandhar, K. (1992). Post harvest technology generation and transfer for food losses management. Proceeding of National Seminar on losses and constraints related to post harvest loss management. Kathmandu.
• Udas, S., Rai, B., Khatiwada, P., Gurung, M., & Thapa, R. (2005). Assessment of postharvest handling systems of vegetables in the Eastern Hills of Nepal. Acta
• Hort., 2191-2197. Retrieved from http://www.postharvest.org/PEF_White_Paper_15-02_PHFVmeasurement.pdf
• UN. (2015). World population projected to reach 9,7 billion by 2050. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html
• UN. (2018). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018. New York: United Nations (UN). Retrieved from Sustainable Development Goals: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/files/report/2018/TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReport2018-EN.pdf
• Verma, M., Plaisier, C., van Wagenberg, C., & Achterbosch, T. (2019). A Systems Approach to Food Loss and Solutions: Understanding Practices, Causes, and Indicators. Sustainability, 11(3). doi:10.3390/su11030579
• Vilarino, M., Franco, C., & Quarrington, C. (2017). Food loss and Waste Reduction as an Integral Part of a Circular Economy. Front. Environ. Sci., 17. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2017.00021
• Wohner, B., Pauer, E., Heinrich, V., & Tacker, M. (2019). Packaging-Related Food Losses and Waste: An Overview of Drivers and Issues. Sustainability. doi:10.3390/su11010264