DIMENSIONS OF POSTHARVEST USED IN RURAL AREAS.

To minimise losses and maximise nutritional content, postharvest technology includes all handling
procedures that preserve the quality of any agricultural produce from the time of harvest to the time
of consumption (Coquillard, 2014). Postharvest is crucial for maintaining the product's high quality,
including its colour, flavour, and aroma. Postharvest aids in protecting farm products against insect
pests and extending their shelf life (Lopez, 2013). To lower the price of finished produce and prevent
waste, an effective postharvest system links farmers and customers. By reducing excessive output
and conserving scarce land and water resources, postharvest practises support environmental
sustainability by ensuring that there is a safe and sufficient supply of food for the world's growing
population (Coulter and Lopez 2013; Smith 2014).

The handling, storage, packaging, processing, conveyance, marketing, and consuming aspects of the
postharvest chain are included. through enhancing the value of agricultural goods and farmers'
incomes, as well as through improving food security and availability, these factors help to increase
agricultural productivity. (2011) Flischer. By making food more easily and affordably accessible, the
development of postharvest technologies in rural regions has the potential to enhance farmers'
quality of life. Postharvest techniques have an impact on the availability of farm products while
lowering output price volatility, expanding the supply of inputs, and lowering the cost of those
inputs. (2015) Anthony. By enabling pest-biological management to reduce post-harvest losses and
so improve the amount of food available for consumption, the development of the post-production
system supports food security. According to Aulakh and Regmi (2015), postharvest storage facilities
let producers access new markets, opening options for farmers to make money.

1.HARVESTING:

Harvesting is an essential procedure in determining the overall crop quality and is regarded as the
first step in the supply chain for grains. The timing of the harvest and the type of harvesting
(mechanical vs. manual) are two important variables that determine the harvesting operations'
losses. If harvesting activities are not carried out at the proper crop maturity and moisture content, a
significant number of losses occur either before or during them. Crops that are harvested too early
and at high moisture levels incur higher drying costs, are more prone to mould growth and insect
infestation, have more broken grains, and have lower milling yields (Khan, 2010).

2. TRESHING ANG CLEANING:

The grain is separated from the panicles during the threshing process. Manual labour (trampling,
beating), animal power, or mechanical threshers can all be used to accomplish the task. In
underdeveloped nations, manual threshing is the most typical method. Losses during the threshing
process can occur for a variety of reasons, including grain spilling, insufficient separation of the grain
from the chaff, and grain breakage owing to excessive striking (Shah 2013).

3.CLEANING/WONNOWING:

Grain spilling, insufficient separation of the grain from the chaff, and grain breaking due to excessive
striking are just a few of the causes of losses during the threshing process (Shah 2013). In
underdeveloped nations, winnowing is the most popular cleaning technique. Another frequent
cleaning technique is screening or sifting, which can be done mechanically or manually. Inadequately
cleaned grains can cause processing equipment damage, increase insect infestation, and mould
growth during storage, and contribute undesirable flavour and colour. During this process, a lot of
grains are spilled, and grain losses during winnowing might reach 4% of the overall output (Sankar et
al. 2013).

3.DRYING:
To reduce field shattering losses, grains are often harvested with high moisture content. The majority
of crops, however, are thought to have a safe moisture content for long-term storage below 13%
(Baloch 2010). For most crops, the moisture level should be less than 15%, even for short-term
storage (less than 6 months). Mould growth and extremely large losses during storage and milling are
both risks associated with inadequate drying. Therefore, drying is an important step to take after
harvesting to preserve crop quality, avoid storage losses, and cut back on transportation costs. Drying
can be done mechanically or naturally (in the sun or shade). The most common technique in poor
nations for drying harvested crops is natural drying, or sun drying. This method is affordable and
traditional. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively, losses of about 3.5% and 4.5% were documented
during the drying of maize on high platforms (Abass et al. 2014).

4.STORAGE:

In the food supply chain, storage is a crucial step, and according to various studies, this is also the
time when losses are at their highest (Majumder et al. 2016). The majority of the time, crops are
planted seasonally, and after harvest, grains are kept in storage for a short or long time as food
reserves and seeds for the following year. According to studies, at the home and farm level in
developing nations like India, between 50 and 60 percent of the grains are preserved for self-
consumption and seed in traditional structures like the Kanaja, Kothi, Sanduka, Gummi, and Kacheri
(Gwover and Singh 2013).

5.TRANSPORTATION:
As goods must be transferred from one step to the next, such as from a field to processing facilities, a
field to storage facilities, and a processing facility to a market, transportation is a crucial component
of the grain value chain. Due to improved road infrastructure, field-engineered facilities, and
processing facilities that allow cars to be loaded and unloaded quickly and with little to no damage,
transportation losses are comparatively quite low in developed countries. In South Asian nations, the
majority of the crop is delivered in open trollies or bullock carts at the field level.

Bagged wheat may be loaded and unloaded from trucks up to ten times before it is ground in nations
like Pakistan and India (Baloch 2010). Some grains spill during each movement and are lost.

REFERENCES:

-Khan M.A. In: Post Harvest Losses of RICE. Khan S.L., editor. Trade Development Authority of
Pakistan; Karachi, Pakistan: 2010.

-Shah D. Assessment of Pre and Post Harvest Losses in Tur and Soyabean Crops in Maharashtra. Agro-
Economic Research Centre Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics; Pune, India: 2013.

-Abass A.B., Ndunguru G., Mamiro P., Alenkhe B., Mlingi N., Bekunda M. Post-harvest food losses in a
maize-based farming system of semi-arid savannah area of Tanzania. J. Stored Prod. Res. 2014;57:49–
57.

-Baloch U.K. In: Wheat: Post-Harvest Operations. Lewis B., Mejia D., editors. Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council; Islamabad, Pakistan: 2010. pp. 1–21

-Majumder S., Bala B., Arshad F.M., Haque M., Hossain M. Food security through increasing technical
efficiency and reducing postharvest losses of rice production systems in Bangladesh. Food
Secur. 2016;8:361–374. doi: 10.1007/s12571-016-0558-x.

-Grover D., Singh J. Post-harvest losses in wheat crop in Punjab: Past and present. Agric. Econ. Res.
Rev. 2013;26:293–297

-Coquillard, M., 2014. Post-harvest technology and processing for Small-scale production. 2nd ed.
Amsterdam: University of Greenwich Press

-Lopez, Q., 2013. The impact of post-harvest practices on food availability in Benin. Journal of
Agricultural and Applied Economics, 4(5):657-658.

-Coulter, N. & Lopez, W., (2016). Post-harvest losses, Technology and Employment: The case of Rice in
Bangladesh, Bangladesh: Westview Press.
-Aulakh, J. &Regmi, A., 2015. Post-harvest Food losses estimation: development of consistent
methodology. Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 20(12), pp. 56-59

-Anthony, S., (2015). Crop Postharvest: Science and Technology. Livelihood diversification and
Natural. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United nation, 28 April, pp. 345-352