1Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla-171 001, (Himachal Pradesh).
2Central Potato Research Institute Campus, Modipuram, Meerut-250 110, (Uttar Pradesh).
*Publication No. 1733, CPRI, Shimla.
This study focuses both on the marketing system and estimation of post-harvest losses in terms of physical and economic in Nalanda district, the leading potato growing district in Bihar and the major terminal market of Patna. Two marketing channels i.e (i) producer-cold store-wholesaler-retailer-consumer and (ii) producer-wholesaler's field agent/wholesaler-retailer-consumer accounted for 46.8% potato disposal in Biharsharif block and 91.3% potato disposal in Noorsarai block respectively. The significant post-harvest losses were found on weight basis at farm level (12.84%), wholesale level (12.40%) and retail level (9.45%) due to cut, crack and diseases. The post-harvest losses on weight and number basis were observed to be 26.84%. Total economic loss was worked out to be 5.67% only.
