Postharvest Losses and Quality Variations of Tomatoes in Wholesale Markets: A Case Study of Sri Lankan Supply Chain

Abstract

Reducing postharvest losses is crucial in enhancing food security by improving the affordability and availability of safe and nutritious food. In Sri Lanka, the tomato supply chain faces greater postharvest losses mainly during transportation to wholesale markets. This study was conducted with the objectives of recognizing both the quantitative and qualitative loss of the tomatoes in one major wholesale market, in Sri Lanka, “Peliyagoda” sourced from different regions in Sri Lanka, and to recognize the reasons/ postharvest practices affecting such differences. Wholesale boxes of tomatoes from three major tomato growing areas in Sri Lanka, “Suriyawewa”, “Balangoda” and “Kurunegala” were purchased from the “Peliyagoda” wholesale market and quantitative loss was assessed as a percentage of unmarketable tomatoes. They were further categorized as physical damage, physiological damage, and pathological and entomological damage. Then, the tomatoes of each box were analyzed for their qualitative parameters such as weight, color, firmness, and total soluble solids along with the shelf life of the tomato. Our results indicated that 22%-33% of postharvest losses occur across these regions, primarily due to physical damages (18%-20%). Box 2 and 3 from Balangoda and Kurunegala, harvested during the rainy season, experienced higher losses (10%-13%) due to physiological damage. Quality losses, including color change, firmness loss, and shorter shelf life (12 days), were prominent in improperly sorted boxes from Suriyawewa which contained >50% light red to red tomatoes. Future studies should extend the analysis throughout the supply chain, aiming to identify the root causes of these losses and enhance food security through facilitating necessary interventions.