Post-harvest losses in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is a major issue affecting food security especially with regards to food availability. With an estimated 374 million people in SSA experiencing severe food insecurity it is prudent to ensure that the least amount of food is lost.
In this study, the case of tomato post-harvest losses and post-harvest technologies to reduce these losses are assessed. Tomato is an important crop in Ghana, consumed in large volumes.
However, post-harvest losses (PHL) of tomato that occur at the pre-consumer level have been estimated at between 20-50%. To reduce these losses, post-harvest technologies are suggested. The technologies focused on in this study are the use of shade and the zero energy cooling chamber.
The factors influencing tomato post-harvest losses as well as the interest of producers to use post-harvest technologies were evaluated. A Cost Benefit Analysis was used to assess the economic effect of using the technologies suggested on the profit of the tomato producers. The results indicated that tomato producers who were members of local associations experienced significantly lower losses.
Also, producers had a fairly poor perception about using a post-harvest technology. The producers who perceived the cost of the post-harvest technology to be greater than the benefit were less likely to use the technology.
It was also found that the white cloth was a better investment option in comparison to the zero energy cooling chamber. Pre-harvest practices seemed to have a bearing on postharvest losses and as such, further research is required to better understand this relationship. Research on the PHL of tomato wholesalers and retailers is necessary in addition to this study to have a holistic overview of the tomato PHL in Ghana.
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