Assessment of Mango Post-Harvest Losses along Value Chain in the Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Even though the Gamo zone is a prevalent mango producing area in Ethiopia, the lack of comprehensive post-harvest loss research along the mango value chain prevents respective stakeholders from recognizing the socioeconomic, nutritional and environmental significance of the post-harvest loss problem. Improving the post-harvesting handling practice not only increases the production by reduction of post-harvest loss but also increases food access at the market level with prices adjustment. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the post-harvest loss along the mango value chain and the challenges that actors and stakeholders face in the process. To do this, 120 mango producers were selected following a multistage sampling procedure. The analysis result shows that the main reasons for the low productivity of mango are the use of the local variety, disease and insect pests and lack of improved harvesting technologies. The result also shows about 41% of mango loss in the study area was due to a lack of improved harvesting mechanism and infection by disease and pests and poor transportation mechanisms. From this loss, the harvesting stage shares the largest share (18%) along the mango value chain. In addition, lack of improved mango varieties, lack of cooperative and wholesale marketing and lack of value addition practice are the major identified problems in the study area. There is also a huge loss of mango production in the study area that needs immediate intervention from respective stakeholders. Thus, dissemination of improved varieties through the distribution of seedlings, modifying the existing harvesting materials and introduction of improved harvesting technologies, strengthening the cooperative marketing and supporting alternative products development through processing was suggested.