New manuals will explain how to manage fruit after harvesting, announced the Rural Development Administration on April 18. The English-language manuals on the postharvest management of mangos, bananas, pears and strawberries will be shared with 30 countries across Asia and Africa.
Mangos, bananas, pears and strawberries are enjoyed by many people around the world, with their sweet taste and delicious flavor. However, such fruit can often get bruised or easily rot during distribution, which sometimes causes quite a loss in edible fruit and profits.
To reduce such losses, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) recently published a manual in English, “Postharvest Handling of Mango, Banana, Pear and Strawberry in Asia,” and will give out the book to agricultural bureaus in 30 countries, the administration announced on April 18.
The manual is aimed at helping to improve the quality of fruit after harvest and to reduce damages and losses during shipping to less than 10 percent without any increase in additional investments or facilities. Current methods are reviewed and suggestions are made at each stage of the way, from the harvest, selection and preprocessing through to packaging, distribution, storing and shipment. The manual is written for people in the industry, including farmers and distribution workers, to help them understand more clearly.
Eleven Asian countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia, participated in the publication of the manual, as well, providing information for the manual about the local environment in each country.
The RDA will share the publication with 30 countries in Africa and Asia, including the 11 participant countries.
Suggestions made in the manual will be able to reduce postharvest losses and further create secondary benefits in agricultural markets around the world if the countries localize the suggestions and apply them thoroughly.
By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Rural Development Administration
icchang@korea.kr
