Postharvest Losses of Fruits and Vegetables Along Their Urban Supply Chain in Eastern Africa: a Case Study of Uganda Towards Sustainable Management

Abstract

Purpose
Given their perishable nature, fruits and vegetables (FVs) are lost along the supply chain in most developing countries such as Uganda. This is mainly due to various reasons including a lack of refrigerated transport systems, poor road conditions, and a lack of cold storage facilities. The objective of this study was to quantify and analyze the current level of nutritional and economic losses for selected FV supply chains in Uganda.

Methods
Losses along the supply chains of four major FVs (bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, and mangoes) produced and consumed in Uganda, were assessed. A predetermined quantity of FVs was sorted at each stage of the supply chain to determine the amount of FV wastage. Samples were collected and analyzed using proximate analysis for moisture content, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) content to quantify the nutritional losses.

Results
The cumulative produce loss from farm to market was 19.8, 27.6, 34.1, and 39.3% for potato, mango, banana, and tomato, respectively. Nutrient loss ranged from 4.31% (P) to as high as 20.76% (N). The economic loss of each FV category studied increased along the supply chain and was observed to be highest in bananas (USD 183.4 per ton).

Conclusion
Overall, the findings showed significant postharvest FV loss along the supply chain, mainly during the transport between farms and markets. The information obtained from this study will help supply chain actors, regulatory bodies, stakeholders, and policymakers to analyze existing scenarios regarding FV postharvest losses and as a mitigation strategy promote transportation measures that reduce FV losses in Eastern Africa.