Title: Post-harvest losses during the transportation of grains from farms to aggregation points

Authors: José Vicente Caixeta-Filho; Thiago Guilherme Péra

Addresses: Department of Economics, Management and Sociology, Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil ' Group of Research and Extension in Agroindustrial Logistics (ESALQ-LOG), Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil

Abstract: All of Brazil's competitive advantages and productive gains tend to bleed away as its farm products pass through the various post-harvest stages, mainly due to logistic bottlenecks and deficiencies. To improve the prognosis for food security, one can avoid losses along the supply chain. This research is intended to adapt indicators and mitigation strategies derived through research in the USA to reduce post-harvest losses, especially in the transport of grains, and make this information available in Brazil. The implementation of a specific policy designed to prevent the post-harvest loss in the USA by either a public or private agent was not encountered during this research, which makes one think that this type of care is mostly driven by the market, economics, and perhaps the farmers' interest in protecting their harvested grains and taking pride in a job well done.

Keywords: losses; grains; agriculture; logistics; post-harvest losses; transportation; on-farm storage; aggregation points; Brazil; US.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2018.093755

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2018 Vol.7 No.3, pp.209 - 247

Received: 26 Aug 2017
Accepted: 16 Oct 2017
Published online: 03 Aug 2018 *

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