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Glossary

Postharvest management

Postharvest management refers to the systematic handling of agricultural products/commodities after harvesting. The postharvest chain involves a series of operations starting immediately after taking a product from the field to its consumption. Postharvest operations include cleaning/washing, cooling, storage, grading, packaging, transportation, processing, and marketing. Agricultural commodities, especially perishables, suffer from huge postharvest losses. For example, such losses are estimated at up to 30-40% of fruit and vegetables in many developing Asian countries. The aim of postharvest management is to minimize losses, maximize added value, and improve food safety. This ultimately should benefit the whole community, whether through increased sales/export earnings or extending the availability of fresh produce through the year.

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