Department of Agricultural Processing, College of Agricultural Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003.
A survey was conducted to study and estimate the post harvest losses at farmers and in the market-network of tomato in Tamil Nadu. Local improved and hybrid varieties of tomato are grown in the state during the monsoon, winter and summer seasons. Pre-harvest losses varies upto 22 per cent in the winter crop and 14–17 per cent in the monsoon and summer crops. The average post harvest losses at farm level were 10.2 and 8.7 per cent for the improved and hybrid varieties, respectively. An average post harvest loss of 7–8 per cent was found for improved varieties and 6–7 per cent for hybrids at local mandies. The losses in the whole sale market while repacking the improved and hybrid varieties varied from 6–9 per cent 4–6 per cent, respectively. Plant materials used as cushion in bamboo baskets for packing tomato, reduced the losses by upto 3 per cent. The retail seller incurs an additional loss of 3–5 per cent due to handling by the consumers, while buying the tomatoes. The total post harvest losses were 32.8 and 25.3 per cent for the improved and hybrid varieties, respectively. At every stage of handling, an average of 7–8 and 5–6 per cent losses occured in improved and hybrid varieties, respectively. Minimising the number of handlings reduced the total losses.
