Postharvest loss of pineapples and its key contributors along the value chain in Fiji
Creators: name: Prasad, Shalendra
Publisher: name: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Year: 2024
Subjects: postharvest loss
pineapples
direct determination
food loss
Horticultural production

description: Agriculture is critical to Fiji’s economy. Over the last 100 years, the agriculture sector, its farming practices, commodities, and economic prosperity have experienced significant challenges and reform. Within this period of change, Fiji’s horticultural industry has experienced rapid growth.
description: Pineapple is currently one of the major horticultural crops cultivated in Fiji, with sugarcane the dominant agriculture commodity. Historically, there has been a level of tension between these two industries, predominantly over land and labour access, resulting in cyclic periods of industry growth and decline. In the absence of a viable commercial pineapple processing sector, the fresh pineapple industry has been impeded by annual cycles of seasonal crop over-supply and resultant low farmer returns. Since the 1990s, local Government and international donor support have focused on agronomic interventions to increase yield, extend seasonality and cultivar based strategies to improve product quality. In comparison, postharvest handling practice has received little attention. Improving postharvest handling practice, or more specifically what constitutes good pineapple postharvest handling practice in Fiji has emerged as an important industry challenge.
description: This study was undertaken to determine current level of pineapple postharvest loss in Fiji, current handling practice, and the key contributors to loss, to better enable evidence-based future postharvest handling interventions. The study was limited to the Western and Central divisions in Viti Levu Island and Northern division in Vanua Levu Island, which incorporated the main pineapple production regions in Fiji. A semi-structured farm survey of 197 farmers and 110 vendors was undertaken to quantify production, pre and postharvest practice, and postharvest loss, with loss determined based on participant recall at key points along the value chain. A second follow-up study was undertaken to determine actual postharvest loss by direct determination, based on a sub-sample of 20 farms and 30 market vendors. The postharvest loss audit methodology used in this study was compliant with the Food Loss and Wastage Protocol: Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard.
description: We found that pineapple farm loss was 17.4%, with market-vendor experiencing a further 8.2%, with overall loss of 25.6%. While this level of loss is consistent with that reported in pineapple value chains elsewhere, it still represents a significant loss of agricultural productivity.
description: This study highlighted a general dearth of postharvest handling knowledge amongst Fiji pineapple farmers, highlighting the need for postharvest training for farmers in the Western division in the agronomic practices to better regulate market supply, strategies to reduce sunburn and pest damage, harvesting index and handling of fruits during intra-farm transportation.