Determinants of Post-harvest Losses of Pineapple: A Farm-level Study in Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh

Aims: Post-harvest losses are acknowledged as one of the major reasons for fresh grain production, especially fruit production in most developing countries. Thus, the present study is highlighted the perishable nature of the food and inefficient post-harvest management are one of the key reasons for fruit (pineapple) losses in the Moulvibazar district. Study Design: This article is about determinants of post-harvest losses study and is placed on empirical analysis. It was carried out to find out what factors influence pineapple post-harvest losses at the farm level. Place and Duration of Study: Sreemangal, Barlekha, Kulaura, Juri, and Rajnagar Upazilas were purposively chosen for this study because they represent the five most important pineapple producing locations in the Moulvibazar district. The study period was the harvesting season of pineapple from April to June 2019. Methodology: Structured questionnaires were used to collect relevant information during face-to-face interviews with 320 pineapple farmers who were chosen using simple random sampling. Then the data were examined using descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-square and factor analysis. Results: The descriptive analysis shows that, based on the ranking of percentage, all pineapple farmers (100%) were engaged in the marketing of pineapple in order to reduce losses by exploring both direct and indirect means to sell their produce. This means that in order to avoid losses, finding a market for pineapples is important. There was a substantial link between the level of education (P=0.049), farm size (P=0.000), farm experience (P=0.021), yield (P=0.000), and post-harvest losses, as per chi-square analysis. Furthermore, according to the findings of the factor analysis, harvesting, grading, sorting, storage, packaging, transportation, and marketing are all aspects that affect post-harvest losses of pineapple at the farm level in the study area. Implementing proper storage and packaging facilities can reduce pineapple farmers' losses and make it easier for them to market their products year-round. Moreover, sorting and grading pineapple increases its price, enabling more effective marketing. Conclusion: It has been shown that the transportation system has a substantial impact on pineapple distribution in the study area. Thus, it is logical to say that the transportation infrastructure should be upgraded in order to reduce pineapple post-harvest losses.