Pre and Post Harvest in Agriculture

Summary

The video script discusses the critical issue of pre and post-harvest weightage and losses in agriculture, which significantly impact the quality and quantity of produce, negatively affecting farmers' income. Pre-harvest losses are attributed to factors like weather conditions, while post-harvest losses involve degradation from harvest to consumption. Inefficient food systems contribute to this wastage, with inadequate post-harvest management leading to substantial losses. The video emphasizes the importance of proper site selection, genetic constituents, planting periods, irrigation, and other agricultural practices to minimize pre-harvest losses. It also highlights the need for clear concepts of post-harvest operations, awareness among growers, infrastructure, technical support, and quality control to reduce post-harvest losses. The script calls attention to the alarming fact that up to one-third of the world's food is wasted, particularly in developing countries where over 30% of certain food products never reach consumers due to weak post-harvest supply chains. It concludes by stressing the importance of every step in the agricultural process to prevent the loss of valuable food and income.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Pre-harvest loss is the reduction in crop yield before harvesting, influenced by factors such as weather conditions and management practices.
• 🍂 Post-harvest loss refers to the degradation in quantity and quality of food from harvest to consumption, impacting food availability and farmer incomes.
• 🚜 Inefficient functioning of food systems leads to significant wastage and losses, particularly in nations where agriculture is a primary livelihood.
• 📈 Post-harvest loss in the PHL system includes both quantitative and qualitative losses during various post-harvest operations.
• 🌡 Environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and light influence the rate of food deterioration after harvest.
• 🛠️ Pre-harvest factors include site selection, genetic constituents, planting period, irrigation, and harvesting methods.
• 🌳 Pest and disease management is crucial to minimize pre-harvest losses due to biological factors.
• 🔍 Post-harvest losses can be caused by biological factors like pests and diseases, chemical contamination, and mechanical injuries.
• 🏚️ Lack of proper storage facilities, inadequate technical support, and poor market infrastructure contribute to post-harvest losses.
• 📦 Effective packaging, temperature management, and quality control are essential for reducing post-harvest losses.
• 🌐 Market access, information, training, and integrated pest management can help prevent post-harvest losses and improve the supply chain.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is pre and post-harvest weightage and losses in agriculture.

What are the causes of pre-harvest loss in crops?

Pre-harvest loss in crops can be caused by various factors including past weather conditions, site selection, genetic constituents, planting period, irrigation, thinning and pruning, maturity stage, climatic conditions, heat management, rainfall, fertilizer application, and pest and disease management.

How is post-harvest loss defined in the script?

Post-harvest loss is defined as degradation in both quantity and quality of food from harvest to consumption.

What are the consequences of inadequate post-harvest management?

Inadequate post-harvest management results in a significant decrease in the quality and quantity of produce, which negatively impacts the income of farmers.

What are the reasons for post-harvest losses mentioned in the script?

Reasons for post-harvest losses include lack of clear concept of parking house operations, lack of awareness among growers, contractors, and policy makers, lack of infrastructure, late realization of its importance, inadequate technical support, inadequate post-harvest quality control, unorganized marketing, absence of pre-cooling and cold storage, inadequate market facilities, market intelligence, and market information service, and poor storage facilities.

What types of post-harvest losses are mentioned in the script?

The types of post-harvest losses mentioned include biological losses such as pests and diseases, chemical losses such as visible external contamination with pesticides and chemical products, mechanical injuries like cuts, bruises, greases, drops, scrapings, and shutters during harvesting, and physiological losses such as sprouting, rooting, and changes caused by transpiration and respiration.

What are the environmental factors influencing the deterioration of food post-harvest?

Environmental factors influencing the deterioration of food post-harvest include temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric composition, and ethylene and light.

What are some precautions or preventions for post-harvest losses mentioned in the script?

Precautions or preventions for post-harvest losses include proper storage facilities, good handling practices, effective packaging, temperature management, quality control, post-harvest processing infrastructure development, market access and information, training and education, integrated pest management, collaboration, and networking.

What is the sad realization mentioned in the script regarding food waste?

The sad realization mentioned in the script is that up to one-third of the world's food is wasted, especially when in 2050 there will be 9 billion mouths to feed.

How does food waste in developing and emerging countries differ from that in the Western World?

In developing and emerging countries, over 30% of certain food products do not even reach the customer due to weak links in the post-harvest supply chain, while in the Western World, food is wasted at the consumer level.

What are some of the issues that can damage products during transport and storage?

Issues that can damage products during transport and storage include the quality of the product being meager to begin with, lack of cooling, bad packaging, poor infrastructure, or insufficient information.