PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Prof. TS Workneh
LEAD INSTITUTION: University of KwaZulu Natal
BENEFICIARY: Tomato Industry
- The determination of impact of road quality on tomato shelf life will facilitate determination of transportation routes and incentivize/support development of infrastructure.
- Lowering of damages to tomatoes postharvest due to improved transportation logistics decisions and management (route selection, conditions, speeds, packaging, etc.).
- Increase in productivity of tomato industry through improved understanding of the transportation conditions that affect postharvest damages to tomato crops.
- Description/assessment of losses incurred in the current tomato supply chain, based on shelf-life studies of tomatoes from the different farms in Limpopo owned by ZZ2 and an emerging farmer.
- Assessment of losses incurred due to various handling practices.
- Identification of quality parameters that can be added to the current list of parameters for measuring tomato quality in the supply chain.
- Development of quality deterioration models to predict losses in the specified supply chain. The model can be used as a decision support tool in this supply chain and may be adapted for use in other supply chains.
- Best combination of postharvest treatments and handling methods for prolonging tomato shelf life – integrated postharvest handling.
The study will generate information for use by both large-scale and emerging farmers in improving their postharvest handling operations.
