Assessment of Postharvest Loss of Banana Supply Chain in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Banana is a popular crop grown worldwide due to its rising consumer demand. In Sri Lanka, bananas rank among the most extensively cultivated fruits, primarily because of the substantial demand within the local population. The current experiment was carried out to measure the postharvest loss of bananas when they move through the supply chain of fruits in Sri Lanka. The findings of this study revealed that the cumulative postharvest loss, spanning from the farm to the retailer market, stood at 19.2%. Notably, a comparatively higher loss occurred during the transportation phase from collection centers to the wholesale market, with a staggering rate of 50.8%. These losses can be attributed to several key factors, including suboptimal loading and unloading practices, inadequate proper transportation methods, and the absence of protective packaging materials during transportation and storage. To mitigate these losses and enhance the overall efficiency of the banana supply chain, it is imperative to identify and implement feasible practical measures. Additionally, knowledge dissemination to all stakeholders should be a focal point, with government support playing a crucial role in facilitating these improvements. The study was conducted in Kurunegala district, North Western Province in Alawwa,28.2 km from Kurunegala for data collection. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Excel was used for initial data organization, while SPSS was employed for statistical analyses. The primary data were augmented with secondary data collected from various articles and publications.