Farm post-harvest losses and their determinants among navel and lemon farmers in kat river valley, eastern cape, south africa

Ponte Academic JournalJul 2022, Volume 78, Issue 7 FARM POST-HARVEST LOSSES AND THEIR DETERMINANTS AMONG NAVEL AND LEMON FARMERS IN KAT RIVER VALLEY, EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICAAuthor(s): Mzuyanda Christian ,Phiwe Jiba, Siphokuhle NohambaJ. Ponte - Jul 2022 - Volume 78 - Issue 7 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2022.7.7 Abstract:Farm post-harvest losses continue to be a threat to the citrus fruit value chain. Reducing these losses is the goal for each citrus farmer. However, a lack of knowledge on the extent of farm-harvest and the associated factors remains unknown. This study, therefore, examined the extent of post-harvest losses and identifies their determinants among navel and lemon farmers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The cross-sectional data were gathered from a sample of 81 land reform navel and lemon farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. A multiple stage sampling procedure was used in this study. On one hand, descriptive analysis was used to estimate socio-economic characteristics and percentages of post-harvest losses at the farm level. On the other hand, multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the determinants of post-harvest losses at the farm level. The descriptive results on socio-economic characteristics show that the majority of farmers were males (96.7%) and the mean average age was 57 years. Furthermore, the results showed that the losses for both fruits were due to faulty storage (2.30 kg/ha in navel and 1.60 kg/ha in lemon). The results from multiple linear regression showed that the age of respondents, level of education and total output influenced navel post-harvest losses. Also, age, the area under irrigation and storage facility determined post-harvest losses at the farm level. The study recommends the establishment of producer organizations, small cold storage in production areas and training of farmers. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password