Assessing the effects of post harvest losses on profitability of tomatoes traders: a case study of Gulu city, Uganda.

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production is a major source of income for majority of households in Uganda. However, tomatoes are perishable crop and detoriates few days after harvest, loosing almost all its required quality attributes and some could result into total waste. Postharvest losses have been highlighted as one of the most determinant of food problem in most developing country like Uganda. This study is to assess the effect of postharvest losses on the profitability of tomatoes enterprises in Gulu city. This was done through characterizing tomato traders, determining the gross margin(profits)of tomato enterprises and effect of postharvest losses on profitability of tomato enterprises in Gulu city. The study used primary data to collect data from 72 respondents and employed descriptive survey method and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics indicating frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and linear regression model was used to analyze effect of postharvest loses on profitability of tomato among traders. The results indicated that being a member of traders’ association and the storage coefficient were positive and significant effect on profitability of tomato enterprises while the marital status, source of tomato, quantity of tomato lost during transportation coefficient were negative and significantly affected profitability the mean age were 39.83 years with experience of 9.4 years and average ton of 1.7 tons monthly. In conclusion, Traders on average made a yearly gross margin of 1,369,947.2 and incurred postharvest losses equivalent to 56 kgs, PHL is caused by inefficient storage facilities, delays in reaching the market, chemical use, inadequate transportation, and improper handling. The study therefore recommends that the government has to reconstruct and develop roads to ease transportation, financial institutions should also open and extend more credit institutions to very many parts of the country to ease access to credit, enhancing of transparency and pricing by market stakeholders including farmers and Providing extension services to traders on marketing.