Farmers in Kirinyaga, Kenya's largest producer of tomatoes, are grappling with 55 percent post-harvest crop losses. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation in partnership with the Korean government have stepped in to train the farmers on post-harvest management.
Farmer Nicholas Munene from Kariti said since getting the training, he has been able to reduce losses of his tomatoes by 30 percent. He used to harvest tomatoes and put them in sacks but they got crushed.
"We were were trained to use plastic crates or buckets instead to reduce breakage," Munene said. They also learned to put tomatoes in the shade to keep them fresh and not expose them to the sun. Munene is among 30 farmers who have formed a group to search for better prices. Within a few months, they managed to double what they got paid for a crate of tomatoes.
The Agriculture ministry says Kirinyaga produces 25 per cent of all tomatoes in the country. A post-harvest expert at Kalro-Thika, Dr Margaret Muchui, said farmers incur huge post-harvest losses of up to 55.3 per cent of tomatoes and 50 per cent of bananas.
She said the major cause is the failure to use best practices and lack of adequate post-harvest infrastructure: “Farmers also lack knowledge on the maturity of the crops, proper harvesting methods, proper containers to reduce bruising, proper sheds, good roads and lack of cold chain, among many other problems."
Muchui told The Star that the government is working with the Korean government under the Korean-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative to reduce post-harvest losses in tomatoes, bananas, and potatoes.