Abstract
Postharvest loss is of particular importance in small Polynesian nations such as Samoa, due to declining smallholder participation in agriculture, a greater reliance on food imports, and wider dietary-based population health concerns. Efforts to remediate loss is currently being impeded by little information as to the current levels of horticultural loss in Samoa or the factors contributing to this loss. In this study, we quantified the commercial postharvest loss of 23 horticultural crops at the Fugalei central municipal market on the Island of Upolu Island, Samoa, using direct weighing. The mean postharvest loss was further determined in all six municipal, community and private fruit and vegetable markets on the Samoan Islands of Upolu and Savai’i using vendor and farmer-trader surveys. Postharvest horticultural loss in the Fugalei municipal market was 6.2% (determined by weight) and 13.3% (based on vendor recall). There was no significant difference between the mean postharvest loss in fruits compared to vegetables. The highest level of daily postharvest loss (5–22%) was observed for soursop, papaya, Tahitian lime, mustard cabbage and choko. Negligible loss (<1%) was observed in limes, vi (Spondias dulcis), eggplant, long bean, soa’a (plantains), lemon, cherry tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, ginger. The level of postharvest loss varied across the municipal, village and roadside markets surveyed, with higher losses in non-urban markets. There was no significant difference in the level of postharvest loss between any of the three urban markets in the Apia region. With most horticultural production located less than 20 km from the municipal market and little evidence of in-transit damage, transport logistics were unlikely to be an important contributor to loss. Low and sporadic consumer purchasing behaviour resulting in protracted market storage at high tropical ambient temperatures was the central contributor to observed losses. The potential importance of low consumer purchasing activity and the proportion of commercial vendor to transient farmer-trader in each of the markets is discussed in terms of being a possible contributing factor to the resulting levels of postharvest loss and market variability.
An earlier version of this chapter was published as ‘Horticultural postharvest loss in municipal fruit and vegetable markets in Samoa’ in Food Security (2017), 9(6), 1373–1383. Used with permission from Springer Nature Customer Service Centre GmbH.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Affognon, H., Mutungi, C., Sanginga, P., & Borgemeister, C. (2015). Unpacking postharvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis. World Development, 66, 49–68.
Babalola, D. A., Megbope, T. A., & Agbola, P. O. (2009). Post harvest losses in pineapple production: Case study of Ado-odo Otta local government area of Ogun State. Bowen Journal of Agriculture, 5(1), 55–62.
Barmore, C. R. (1987). Packing technology for fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Quality, 10(3), 207–217.
Berinyuy, J. E., & Fontem, D. A. (2011). Evaluating post harvest opportunities and constraints to utilization and marketing of African leafy vegetables in Cameroon. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 11(2), 4647–4664.
Brown, M. E., Hintermann, B., & Higgins, N. (2009). Markets, climate change, and food security in West Africa. Environmental Science and Technology, 43(21), 8016–8020.
Chang, H. S., & Spriggs, J. (2007). Sweet potato marketing in PNG highlands (pp. 1–20). Working paper series in agricultural and resource economics, University of New England, Australia. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christie_Chang/publication/228967415_Sweet_Potato_Marketing_in_PNG_Highlands/links/00b7d53150104ad297000000.pdf. Assessed 11 May 2017.
Cocker, E. (2000). Postharvest handling status and problems of the Pacific Island countries. In G. I. Johnson, L. Van To, N. Duy Duc, & M. C. Webb (Eds.), Quality assurance in agricultural produce (pp. 57–59), ACIAR proceedings 100, Canberra, Australia.
Fink, A., Neave, S., Hickes, A., Wang, J. F., & Nand, N. (2013). Vegetable production, postharvest handling and marketing in Fiji (p. 43). AVRDC-World Vegetable Center, Research in Action No 7.
Food Loss and Waste Protocol. (2016). Food loss and waste accounting and reporting standard. http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/FLW_Standard_final_2016.pdf. Accessed 8 May 2017.
Georgeou, N., Hawksley, C., & Monks, J. (2018). Food security in Solomon Islands: Preliminary results from a survey of the Honiara Central Market. Pacific Dynamics, 2(1), 53–70.
Hawley, N. L., & McGarvey, S. T. (2015). Obesity and diabetes in Pacific Islanders: The current burden and the need for urgent action. Current Diabetes Reports, 15(5), 1–10.
Hodges, R. J., Buzby, J. C., & Bennett, B. (2011). Postharvest losses and waste in developed and less developed countries: Opportunities to improve resource use. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 149(1), 37–45.
Ichiho, H. M., Roby, F. T., Ponausuia, E. S., & Aitaoto, N. (2013). An assessment of non-communicable diseases, diabetes, and related risk factors in the territory of American Samoa: A systems perspective. Hawai’i Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 72(5), 10–18.
Idah, P. A., Ajisegiri, E. S. A., & Yisa, M. G. (2007). Fruits and vegetables handling and transportation in Nigeria. Australian Journal of Technology, 10(3), 176–183.
Kader, A. A. (2004). Increasing food availability by reducing postharvest losses of fresh produce. International Postharvest Symposium, 682, 2169–2176.
Kitinoja, L. (2013). Innovative small-scale postharvest technologies for reducing losses in horticultural crops. Ethiopian Journal of Applied Sciences and Technology, 1(1), 9–15.
Kitinoja, L., & AlHassan, H. Y. (2010). Identification of appropriate postharvest technologies for small-scale horticultural farmers and marketers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia-Part 1. Postharvest losses and quality assessments. In XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People, 93 (pp. 31–40).
Kitinoja, L., Saran, S., Roy, S. K., & Kader, A. A. (2011). Postharvest technology for developing countries: Challenges and opportunities in research, outreach and advocacy. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 91(4), 597–603.
Kaminski, J., & Christiaensen, L. (2014). Post-harvest loss in Sub-Saharan Africa—What do farmers say? Global Food Security, 3(3), 149–158.
Lazar-Baker, E. E., Crampton, K. A., Kenny, B., Finau, K. A., Gangai, S., & Ramita, I. (2011). Postharvest disease management of horticultural produce in the Pacific Island Countries: A brief overview. Stewart Postharvest Review, 79(2), 1–9.
McGregor, A., Bourke, R. M., Manley, M., Tubuna, S., & Deo, R. (2009). Pacific Island food security: Situation, challenges and opportunities. Pacific Economic Bulletin, 24(2), 24–42.
Mashau, M. E., Moyane, J. N., & Jideani, I. A. (2012). Assessment of postharvest losses of fruits at Tshakhuma fruit market in Limpopo province, South Africa. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(29), 4145–4150.
Msogoya, J. T., & Kimaro, S. E. (2011). Assessment and management of post-harvest losses of fresh mango under small-scale business in Morogoro, Tanzania. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 11(1), 1358–1363.
Murthy, D. S., Gajanana, T. M., Sudha, M., & Dakshinamoorthy, V. (2007). Marketing losses and their impact on marketing margins: A case study of banana in Karnataka. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 20(1), 47–60.
Mwaniki, A. (2006). Achieving food security in Africa: Challenges and issues’. UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (OSAA). Retrieved February 29, 2016 from http://www.un.org/africa/osaa/reports/Achieving%20Food%20Security%20in%20Africa-Challenges%20and%20Issues.Pdf.
Oelofse, S. H., & Nahman, A. (2013). Estimating the magnitude of food waste generated in South Africa. Waste Management and Research, 31(1), 80–86.
Parfitt, J., Barthel, M., & Macnaughton, S. (2010). Food waste within food supply chains: Quantification and potential for change to 2050. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1554), 3065–3081.
Prabakar, K., Raguchander, T., Parthiban, V. K., Muthulakshmi, P., & Prakasam, V. (2005). Post harvest fungal spoilage in mango at different levels of marketing. Madras Agricultural Journal, 92(1–3), 42–48.
Samoa Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Agricultural census analytical report. Retrieved January 28, 2016 from http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/ess_test_folder/World_Census_Agriculture/Country_info_2010/Reports/Reports_4/WSM_ENG_REPa_2009.pdf.
Seiden, A., Hawley, N. L., Schulz, D., Raifman, S., & McGarvey, S. T. (2012). Long-term trends in food availability, food prices, and obesity in Samoa. American Journal of Human Biology, 24(3), 286–295.
Tuitama, L. T., Young-soo, S., Clark, H., Tukuitonga, C., & Beaglehole, R. (2014). Acting on the Pacific crisis in non-communicable diseases. The Lancet, 384(9957), 1823–1824.
Underhill, S. J. R. (2013). Improving the effectiveness of small-holder farm postharvest practices in Fiji. Acta Horticulturae, 1011, 41–48.
Underhill, S. J. R., & Kumar, S. (2014). Quantifying horticulture postharvest wastage in three municipal fruit and vegetable markets in Fiji. International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 4(2–4), 251–261.
Underhill, S. J. R., & Kumar, S. (2015). Quantifying postharvest losses along a commercial tomato supply chain in Fiji. Journal of Applied Horticulture, 17(3), 199–204.
Underhill, S. J. R. (2017). A practical guide to better postharvest handling for Samoan smallholder farmers. University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia (p. 76). Retrieved May 11, 2017 from http://research.usc.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/usc:22202.
Veit, R. (2009). Assessing the viability of collection centres for fruit and vegetables in Fiji: A value chain approach. FAO All ACP Agricultural Commodities Program. Series Paper No. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2016 from www.fao.org/fileadmin/…/FAO_AAACP_Paper_Series_No_7_1_pdf.
Weinberger, K., Genova Ii, C., & Acedo, A. (2008). Quantifying postharvest loss in vegetables along the supply chain in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 1(3), 288–297.
Acknowledgements
Funding provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research to support this research is acknowledged. Support and assistance provided by the late Dr. Tim Martyn, Samoan municipal market vendors and the staff from the Samoan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Ethics declarations
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Underhill, S.J.R., Sherzad, S., Zhou, Y., Molimau-Samasoni, S., Tagoai, S.M. (2020). Postharvest Loss in Fruit and Vegetable Markets in Samoa. In: Connell, J., Lowitt, K. (eds) Food Security in Small Island States. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8256-7_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8256-7_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-8255-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-8256-7
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)