Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Survey on Postharvest Practices and Losses of Litchi in Selected Areas of Banglades

M. M. MOLLA
Postharvest Technology Section, HRC, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur,

M. N. ISLAM
Postharvest Technology Section, HRC, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur,

T. A. A. NASRIN
Postharvest Technology Section, HRC, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur,

M. A. J. BHUYAN
Director, TCRC, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A survey was conducted to assess the postharvest practices and losses of litchi during May to June 2008. Three litchi growing areas viz., Dinajpur, Ishurdi, and Natore, two urban areas, namely, Dhaka and Gazipur were selected for this study. Some indigenous postharvest practices were observed to follow in all the growing areas mostly by the growers and/or beparies those are involved in harvesting. These practices were as pre-cooling by keeping the harvested fruits under the shade of the trees, sorting based on damaged, pest infested, and disease infected fruits and so called believed cooling with litchi leaves during transportation. Nobody practices the grading of fruits. The usual packaging practices were observed mainly with bamboo baskets lining with litchi leaves and covering with gunny sheets. None of the aradthdars involved in packaging. The postharvest losses were reported mainly at harvesting (8.0%), handling from orchard to selling point by the growers and beparies involved in harvesting (4.61%) and after buying to consumption by the consumers (7.5%). Considering the channels involved in litchi marketing, the growers and/or beparies engaged in harvesting had the highest percent of losses (16% in Dinajpur, 12% in Ishurdi, and 11 % in Natore) followed by the consumers (7.5%).

Keywords: Litchi, Harvesting practices, Mode of packaging and Transportation, Postharvest losses.

Location: Dinajpur, Ishurdi, Natore, and two urban areas, namely, Dhaka and Gazipur.

Start Date: 00-05-2008

End Date: 00-06-2008

Program Area: Postharvest and Agro-processing

Commodity: Litchi

Objectives:

The present study was conducted to know the existing postharvest practices and losses of litchi fruits at different levels, which will help for developing appropriate postharvest practices to reduce its losses.

Methodology:

Selection of study areas: The present study was conducted in three intensive litchi growing areas viz., Dinajpur, Ishurdi, Natore, and two urban areas, namely, Dhaka and Gazipur. Ten each of growers, arathdars, beparis, and retailers were selected from each growing area for getting answers using with pre-tested questionnaires. Equal number of arathdar, beparies, and retailers were selected in the urban marketing areas of Dhaka. Consumers were selected only in two urban areas from Dhaka and Gazipur. Methods of data collection and analysis: Data on postharvest practices and losses with other relevant factors were collected from the above regions during the harvesting season of litchi in May to June 2008. The collected data were summarized, compiled, and analyzed. Preparation of survey schedules: In order to collect data from personnel involved in litchi handling and marketing, six different questionaires were prepared for growers, arathdars (wholesalers), pikars, beparies, retailers, and consumers. The schedules were pre-tested and necessary modifications were made for ensuring consistency and applicability in actual field condition. Definition of respondents: Grower: Growers produce litchi and sell their produce to the beparies through arathdar. Sometimes, they sell their expected crops directly to the beparies based on orchard areas i.e., number of productive trees in the orchard. In order to avoid management cost and risk, some growers sell their expected crops to the beparies during the flowering and fruiting stage or even before on the basis of estimation of the amount of bloom in the trees. Bepari: Beparies are either local person or coming from other districts like Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Jessore, Barisal etc. Depending on involvement in harvesting, they are of two groups. One of them involved in harvesting but other one is not. The first group of beparies bought harvested litchi from growers and other intermediates in the local markets through the local arathdars, while the second group of the beparies bought advance crops (orchards) directly from the growers or other intermediates and harvest litchi by their own management. Both groups of beparies despatch litchi mostly to arathdars to other big markets. Arathdar: Arathdars are big traders. They are commission agent those have a fixed establishment in the market and operated between beparies and pikars or retailers. They took commission from growers and beparies. Pikar: Pikars are intermediatries between arathdars and retailers. This group of litchi traders have a permanent shop in certain location mostly found in urban or city areas. They buy large amount of litchi from arathdars and sell it to retailers in their locations. Retailer: Retailer is last link in the litchi marketing. Retailers have permanent or seasonal shop in the local bazars or urban or city markets. Retailers in growing areas buy litchi directly from the growers or beparies or from beparies through arathdars. But, retailers in urban or city areas bought litchi from arathdars or pikars working in their locality and sell it to the residents, the ultimate consumers. Consumer : The people, who buy litchi for consumption, are known as consumer. They are the last outlet of this survey. Usually they buy litchi from retailers.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 35(3) : 439-451, September 2010 ISSN 0258-7122

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The postharvest practices followed by the growers and/or beparies were as precooling, sorting, and packaging in the surveyed area. All of the practices were locally developed. No standard practices of cooling and packaging were followed. The major portion of postharvest losses was appeared at harvesting mainly due to insect attack and disease as well as adverse weather stress before harvesting, but it expressed at harvesting. Careless harvesting and handling also may cause injuries and losses of marketable quality of litchis during harvesting and transports to different points. Due to short shelf life and rapid quality deterioration, a considerable portion of litchis also goes to waste after buying to consumption.

Knowledge Management: Journal