Analysis of Quantity and Value of Post-Harvest Losses in Marketing Pawpaw and Banana in Selected Markets in Kano Metropolis, Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed the quantity and value of post-harvest losses in pawpaw and banana marketing in selected markets in Kano Metropolis of Kano State, Nigeria. Purposefully specific markets were selected for the study due to their significant concentration of fruit traders operating at both retail and wholesale levels included the Yan Lemo fruit market, Yankaba, and Yankura. Copies of structured questionnaire were used to collect data, descriptive statistics and Post-Harvest Loss Estimation (PHLE) Model were used to achieve the two objectives. The age distribution shows that majority of wholesale marketers had a mean age of 48.50 years, while retail pawpaw marketers fall within the 31-40 age group (51.7%). It was revealed that retail pawpaw marketers predominantly have a mean of 12 persons; wholesale pawpaw marketers had a larger mean household size of 18 persons. During the sorting of pawpaw the mean quantity lost was 2.53 pieces and the mean value lost was approximately ₦3,640.00. In the banana marketing process, significant losses also occurred. During the sorting stage, the mean quantity lost was 1.58 pieces (with a range from 1 to 4 pieces) and the mean value lost was ₦2,705.26 (minimum ₦2,000, maximum ₦3,600). This reflects similar issues as seen with pawpaw, where sorting inadequacies can lead to economic setbacks. The study also recommended the need for effective strategies to reduce post-harvest losses, and adopting new management techniques

Key words; post-harvest, losses, Quantity, Value, Retail, Wholesale