An inquest into predictors of losses and constraints in Uttar Pradesh’s potato (Solanum tuberosum) value chain

Abstract

A significant portion of total horticultural production is lost each year due to post-harvest losses. These losses vary significantly in different segments of the supply chain and these variations are primarily due to various farmlevel factors. Present study was carried out during 2019–20 to isolate the predictors of post-harvest losses in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the purposively selected Khandoli block of Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. The total sample size was 160 included 120 farmers; 10 wholesalers; 15 retailers and 15 institutional stakeholders. The study used ordered logistic regression analysis and found that the knowledge level of the producers, training received, variety, timely labour availability, quantity harvested, and storage duration influenced the amount of losses in potatoes. The major constraints identified in the potato value chain were small operational size, absence of storage facilities, inadequate insurance coverage and poor market intelligence. The study suggested focusing more on capacity building, breeding & disseminating improved varieties; creating local-level storage infrastructure; ensuring financial risk coverage and price policy support; creating strong marketing intelligence network and farmer mobilization into farmers groups for effective post-harvest management.

Keywords

• predictors
• knowledge
• labour
• potato
• post-harvest losses
• ordinal logistic regression