Title: Assessing tomato postharvest loss through the supply chain using load tracking technique in Northwest Ethiopia

Authors: Eskindir E. Tadesse; Hirut Assaye; Mulugeta A. Delele; Solomon W. Fanta; Dawit F. Huluka; Melkamu Alemayehu; Getachew Alemayehu; Enyew Adgo

Addresses: Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 5501, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 5501, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia ' College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 5501, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Abstract: This study assessed quantitative and qualitative postharvest loss of tomato through the supply chain in Northwest Ethiopia using FAO load tracking method. The treatments comprised of four critical steps through the supply chain and three harvesting locations. Two-way ANOVA was used to estimate the combined contributions of harvesting location and supply chain and significant difference was tested at p < 0.05. In addition, the effect of refrigerated storage on the quality and shelf life of tomato was studied. The mean postharvest loss of tomatoes within five days of tracking along the unrefrigerated supply chain was 25.91 ± 1.04%. There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in postharvest loss, weight loss, firmness, colour L* and a*/b* value of tomatoes through the supply chain among the three districts. Low temperature storage improved the quality and extended the shelf life of tomatoes by delaying their ripening time in terms of colour, firmness and weight loss.

Keywords: load tracking; postharvest handling; quality; storage; supply chain; Ethiopia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2022.125902

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2022 Vol.8 No.4, pp.360 - 381

Received: 16 Dec 2021
Accepted: 11 Aug 2022
Published online: 03 Oct 2022 *