Factors Affecting Postharvest Losses of Sesame (<i>Sesamum indicum</i> L.) and Their Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Current postharvest activities in the sesame value chain are prompting colossal losses, which reduce overall global productivity. This review portrays losses in sesame during various processing stages, from grain harvesting to marketing and transformation of crop seed into oil. Such losses in sesame not only reduce yield but also have an impact on the economy of its production territories. The loss in productivity is because the majority of farmers don’t use adequate harvesting, packaging, or handling technologies to manage on-farm produce. Also, there is a lack of knack for minimizing postharvest losses. Therefore, the study penlights the inevitability of increasing production by raising productivity and quality while giving mitigation strategies to reduce postharvest losses. Elevating standardized productivity with accurate postharvest management is the only substitute for the gap between the global productivity average and the overall production potential of sesame.

Keywords

• sesame
• postharvest losses
• value chain
• oilseed
• Pedaliaceae