Thesis Abstract

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities that experience significant losses during post-harvest storage and transportation due to biological and physiological deterioration. Reducing these post-harvest losses can help increase the availability and affordability of nutritious foods. This study aims to analyze the post-harvest losses incurred in major fruits and vegetables during storage and transportation under different conditions. Field studies will be conducted to quantify the losses at various stages from harvest to consumer. The impacts of storage temperature, relative humidity and transportation duration on quality and shelf-life will be evaluated. Appropriate technologies and management practices will be recommended for minimizing losses while maintaining quality. The findings of this research will help farmers, transporters and retailers to adopt improved practices for reducing wastage of fruits and vegetables.

Thesis Overview