Developing a Post-Harvest Loss Reduction Strategy for Tomato in Kaduna State

Tomato post-harvest losses in Kaduna State reach 40 to 60 percent during peak production periods when marketing infrastructure is overwhelmed, and a professionally designed loss reduction strategy would provide actionable interventions across the production-storage-marketing chain. This study developed a post-harvest loss reduction strategy for tomato in the major production zones of Giwa, Lere, and Ikara LGAs in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A professional strategy development methodology was employed, drawing on rapid appraisal surveys of 80 tomato farmers and 40 traders, loss measurement at farm gate and market levels, infrastructure assessment of storage and cooling facilities, and structured consultations with 10 post-harvest technology specialists and eight agribusiness experts. Loss measurement confirmed mean farm-gate losses of 18.3 percent and additional market-level losses of 27.4 percent over a 10-day marketing cycle, driven primarily by mechanical bruising (41 percent of losses), heat stress (33 percent), and disease (26 percent). The strategy developed encompasses four components: improved packaging and handling protocols at harvest, mobile evaporative cooling unit specifications for group use, aggregation centre development with shade and ventilation standards, and short-value chain linkage models connecting farmers directly with Kaduna urban processors and retailers. Expert review by seven post-harvest specialists confirmed the strategy's operational feasibility. The study recommends adoption by the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture through the state tomato value chain project.

Keywords: tomato post-harvest losses, loss reduction strategy, Kaduna State, evaporative cooling, value chain