Value Chains: Knowledge Empowerment of Farmers: Trimming down the losses from ‘Lost Harvest’ and ‘Food Waste’ in the tribal tract of Koraput, Odisha, India

Alleviating Poverty and Malnutrition in Agrobiodiversity Hotspots

Knowledge Empowerment of Farmers: Trimming down the losses from ‘Lost Harvest’ and ‘Food waste’

in the tribal tract of Koraput, Odisha, India

Chaudhury Shripati Mishra, Seema Tigga, Trinath Taraputia, Malay Kumar Sahu, Ashis Kumar Sagar

M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Odisha, India

International Food Security Dialogue 2014

Theme Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional

Security in a Changing World


Introduction

Lost harvest - Physical spoilage and partial deterioration rendering the food unsuitable for consumption

Food waste - Food losses occurring at the end of the food chain (Parfitt et al 2010)

Around 1.3 billion tonnes of food which is one third of the annual global food production is lost or wasted every year (30% of total cereals, 40-50% of root crops, fruits and vegetables, 20% of oil seeds and 30% of meat, dairy and fish products)

The per capita food waste: 95-115 kg per annum in North America and Europe, 6-11 kg per annum in sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-eastern Asia (FAO 2011)


In developing countries, the food loss is highly evident in the initial phases of the value chain due to ‘financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and cooling facilities’.

In India, food losses may negate the effects of growth in agricultural production and may adversely affect food and nutrition security of the nation facing grave challenges of malnutrition

Incidences of stunting, wasting and underweight in 45%, 23% and 40% children below three years of age respectively

Incidences of anaemia in 56% and 24% women and men respectively

Anaemia reported in 79% children in the age group of 6 to 35 months

(The National Family Survey 2005-06)



Social Composition in Intervention Villages

PORAJA BHUMIA

PENTHIABHATRA


Objectives The present study attempts1. To gauge the food loss at various levels of

the value chain 2. To design and implement research

initiatives to minimise the food loss3. To assess the effect of interventions on

lost harvest and food waste over a period of 24 months


Methodology• 50 farmers selected for each of the three cereal crops

(paddy, finger millet and little millet)• 150 vegetable cultivators selected with 30 farmers

each for cauliflower, tomato, okra, pumpkin and brinjal

• 30 fruit growers for each fruit namely Jack fruit, mango and banana selected

• Equal numbers of men and women farmers belonging to Poraja, Bhumia, Penthia and Bhatra tribes selected

• Random selection of 20 wholesalers and 30 retailers for each of the cereals, vegetables and fruits by employing the methodology of ‘overall assessment of the commodity movement system’

• Stakeholders of the food value chain interviewed using a questionnaire

• Benchmark survey on Nov 2011 and Impact assessment survey in Jan 2014


• Integrated pest and disease management

• Crop nutrient management• PVS trials to decrease shattering of

grains• Efficient transportation of

agricultural produce• Post harvest food processing• Revival of efficient storage

practices• Strengthening of market linkages

Results and Discussion


Integrated pest and disease management• Promotion of organic pesticides (application of

neem (Azadirachta indica))• Inclusion of preventive practices• Use of trap crops (Indian mustard (Brassica

juncea) and marigold in vegetable cultivation and niger (Guizotia abyssinica) in finger millet and little millet)

• Identification of pests and diseases and use of right dose rate of inorganic pesticides

• Quality seed production and seed treatment• Periodic trainings• Intra-community knowledge and experience

sharing


Crop nutrient management• Over application and under application of macro

and micro nutrients, leads to increased incidences of diseases (Rush et al., 1997)

• Capacity building of the community on the recommended dose rates of macro and micro nutrients for common cereals, vegetables and fruits PVS trials to decrease shattering of grains

• Improved varieties (GPU 67, GPU 45 and GPU 28) and landraces (Dasaramandia and Telengamandia) of finger millet with the attribute of least shattering of grains promoted

• Paddy: Improved varieties (Jajati, Pratikshya and Sahabhagi) and landraces (Machakanta and Sapuri)

• Little millet: Landrace (Badasuan)


Efficient transportation of agricultural produce• Traditionally transported to storage facility or

threshing yard on shoulders, head load and bullock cart, bicycle

• Non-availability on time and high rental charges of mechanical modes of transport

• Loss of harvest due to theft, rain/ hailstones, damage by birds, rodents and stray animals

• Improper maintenance of containers/trailers of irregular size, shape, presence of cracks, uneven surface and corners, serrated ends, absence of strong guarding walls and lack of waterproof top covering facility

• Provided power tillers with trailers as a not-for profit service

• Proper plastic containers, waterproof top covering facility, round and smooth edges and compact side guards

• Reduction in average transportation time of agricultural produce from storage area to wholesalers/retailers by 38%



Post harvest food processingTraditionally used foot operated pounders (dhinki)

and hand held pounders (musala) The average broken paddy grain content in foot

operated pounding and hand held pounding are 18.3% and 14.7% respectively. Brought down to 6.5% with mechanical hulling

Little millet dehuskers reduced the broken/damaged grain content from 14% in hand pounding to 4.3% in mechanical processing


Revival of efficient storage practices• Challenges: Use of unsuitable containers, exposure

to extreme temperatures inappropriate storage facility, improper storage practices leading to high moisture content, growth of moulds, insect and rodent infestation, loss of quality due to droppings of rodents and insects, spillage and leakage of agricultural produce during transportation

• Promotion of traditional earthen pots and bamboo containers with organic insecticides and fungicides (turmeric, neem leaves and char), use of paddy straw as an affordable and effective packing materialStrengthening of market linkages

• Promotion of collective action through Community Based Organizations (CBOs)

• Efficient and affordable transportation facility


Crop Pest infestationsDecreased incidence in 2013-14 over 2010-12

(in %)Diseases

Decreased incidence in 2013-14 over 2010-

12 (in %)

Paddy

Plant Hoppers (BHP) 52 Blast disease 29Stem borer 36 False Smut 17

Swarming caterpillar 42 Sheath Blight 22Rice hispa 27 Stem rot 81

Finger milletCaterpillar 19 Cercospora leaf spot 21

- - Seedling and leaf blight 16

CauliflowerDiamondback moth 72 Stalk rot 34

- - Black rot 44

TomatoFruit borer 41 Damping off disease 52White fly 31 Early blight 43

Mite 12 Fusarium wilt 61

OkraShoot and Fruit Borer 58 Yellow vein mosaic virus 07

Leaf Hopper 31 Powdery mildew 56Okra Stemfly 24 Fusarium wilt 14

PumpkinPhytophthora Blight 06 Bacterial Wilt 19

Powdery Mildew 17 - -

BrinjalShoot and fruit borer 48 Leaf blight and fruit rot disease 37

Stem borer 39 Fungal wilt 78Epilachna beetle 83 Bacterial wilt 62

Jack fruit

Shoot-borer caterpillar 21 Pink disease 26Mealy bugs 81 Stem rot 16Spittle bug 12 Gray blight 37Jack scale 03 Charcoal rot 29

Mango

Mealy Bugs 08 Anthracnose 22Inflorescence Midge 19 Phoma Blight 35

Shoot Borer 28 Red Rust 19Leaf Webber 13 Diplodia Stem-end Rot 31

Banana

Banana Aphid 32 Panama Wilt 17

Rhizome Weevil 21 Leaf Spot, Leaf Streak or Sigatoka Disease 04

Pseudostem Borer 22 Crown Rot 18Burrowing Nematode 09 Pseudostem Heart Rot 07



ParticularsPaddy (in %) Finger millet (in %) Little millet (in %)

2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14

1. Production lossesa)Pestb)Diseasec)Damage by birds, rodents and stray animals d)Rain/ hailstonese)Shattering of grainsf)Theft

5.927.811.210.180.490.32

2.123.431.180.220.170.29

0.720.940.520.480.69

-

0.190.240.540.530.69

-

0.961.091.220.860.51

-

0.570.351.180.960.22

-

2. Post harvest lossesa)Harvestingb)Shattering of grains while transporting to threshing yardc)Damage by rodents in the threshing yardd)Broken grains/ excessive hulling/ dehuskinge)Storage (molds/ humidity/ insect/ rodents)f)Physical damage during transportation (spillage/ breakage of grains/ leakage)

0.430.61

1.060.892.280.37

0.450.16

1.090.260.910.12

0.090.29

1.181.021.761.61

0.100.11

1.140.420.570.39

0.280.72

1.220.871.041.31

0.250.31

1.250.070.490.17

3. Losses during marketinga)Damage during handlingb)Discarded (quality loss)c)Storage (molds/ humidity/ insect/ rodents)

0.030.511.79

0.040.190.61

0.180.642.06

0.170.341.67

0.170.130.99

0.190.090.64

Total loss 23.90 11.24 12.18 7.10 11.49 6.74

Food loss in major food grains cultivated in Kundra


Food loss in major vegetables grown in Kundra

Particulars

Cauliflower (in %)

Tomato (in %) Ocra (in %) Pumpkin (in %) Brinjal (in %)

2010-112013-

142010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14

1. Production lossesa)Pestb)Diseasec)Damage by birdsd)Damage by rodents and stray animalse)Rain/ hailstonesf)Delayed harvest leading to excess ripeningg)Rotten crop due to contact with groundh)Theft

5.0711.740.320.930.47

-

-1.32

3.097.450.330.490.51-

-1.28

2.068.162.311.824.462.18

3.030.97

1.754.892.211.634.251.88

2.471.02

7.2411.920.090.270.210.41

-0.25

5.458.010.1

0.290.190.48

-0.3

2.5414.871.676.170.22

-

0.210.54

2.339.071.545.190.15

-

0.170.48

8.0513.03

-1.380.520.04

1.670.21

7.148.79

-1.4

0.440.04

1.390.25

2. Post harvest lossesa)Picking/harvestingb)Grading/sortingc)Damage by rodentsd)Packing the producee)Temporary storagef)Fungal contaminationg)Physical damage during transportation (pressed/pock marked)h)Economic loss due to partial damage

0.110.210.460.220.070.940.22

0.27

0.120.180.480.160.040.810.16

0.17

0.281.020.571.890.710.641.52

0.39

0.210.960.551.580.470.511.32

0.11

0.060.6

0.040.020.120.190.41

0.24

0.080.440.060.020.070.140.28

0.16

-0.090.220.01

-0.330.21

0.23

-0.1

0.190.0

0.010.270.16

0.09

0.260.360.040.030.210.180.27

1.01

0.240.250.050.030.170.180.24

0.92

3. Losses during marketinga)Damage during handlingb)Sorted out/discarded

0.053.41

0.032.85

1.092.62

0.922.5

0.173.07

0.192.85

0.122.02

0.141.88

0.423.48

0.362.48

Total loss 31.34 18.15 40.94 29.23 28.34 19.11 33.58 21.77 35.7 24.37


Food loss in major fruits grown in Kundra Particulars

Jack fruit (in %) Mango (in %) Banana (in %)

2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14 2010-11 2013-14

1. Production lossesa)Pestb)Diseasec)Damage by birdsd)Damage by rodents and stray animalse)Rain/ hailstonesf)Delayed harvest leading to excess ripeningg)Theft

4.672.440.210.021.68

-1.07

2.421.910.240.031.59

-1.02

3.8311.270.27

-2.12

-2.74

2.578.640.230.032.02

-2.86

4.667.620.860.411.13

-0.56

3.545.950.790.41.7-

0.63

2. Post harvest lossesa)Picking/harvestingb)Grading/sortingc)Damage by rodentsd)Packing the producee)Temporary storagef)Fungal contaminationg)Physical damage during transportation (pressed/pock marked)h)Economic loss due to partial damage

0.090.270.080.980.042.081.58

1.81

0.050.220.080.760.031.851.39

1.66

0.180.470.120.21

-0.191.12

1.14

0.140.330.130.180.010.140.08

1.02

0.140.590.720.220.141.371.53

1.39

0.110.470.680.240.111.181.34

1.19

3. Losses during marketinga)Damage during handlingb)Sorted out/discarded

0.33.96

0.223.58

0.116.22

0.075.01

0.173.84

0.173.15

Total loss 22.23 17.05 29.99 23.46 25.35 21.65


Conclusion

• Promotion of collective action• Transfer of technology to communities• Decrease in food losses by 47.25%, 33.72% and

19.84% on an average in grains, vegetables and fruits respectively

Acknowledgement

• Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), Canada

• International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada


Thank you

Technology

Value Chains: Knowledge Empowerment of Farmers: Trimming down the losses from ‘Lost Harvest’ and ‘Food Waste’ in the tribal tract of Koraput, Odisha, India