Postharvest technology – JASTECA study tour to Thailand

Postharvest technology contributes an inter-disciplinary science and techniques applied to agricultural produce after harvest for its protection, preservation, conservation, processing, packaging, distribution, marketing and utilisation to meet the food and nutritional requirements of consumers in relation to their needs.

Fruits and vegetable growers work diligently to ensure that they bring the best quality products to the market. They may possess the necessary skills to improve the value of their crop during the growing season. However, once the harvest begins, good postharvest handling practices must be used to safeguard the product though out the distributional environment.

In practice products must be harvested at optimum maturity and quality, handled carefully to avoid mechanical injury, cooled quickly to remove field heat, stored in modified atmosphere if appropriate for the product and maintained at acceptable temperature during storage distribution and marketing.

Postharvest packaging plays an important role in the fruit and vegetable distribution chain. While containment which is the basic requirement for the movement of a product from one place to another, plays a major role providing protection, helping in preservation for the product against environmental factors as well as impact and compression bruising that can occur during handling and transport too have to be taken into consideration. 

Providing convenience for handling, communication helping in advertising the product and information on the product to the consumer and also proper designing the package with venting for cooling and temperature management during storage and transport too are other important features that are expected in postharvest packaging.

Good packaging helps to reduce postharvest losses in postharvest fruits and vegetables. There are many types of packages available in a variety of material such as plastics, corrugated fibreboard, wood and even sustainable materials such as bio plastics and decomposable fibre for packing of these products. In many countries sustainable packaging options are becoming increasingly more common and offer many advantages over traditional packaging containers. 

Studies reveal in Sri Lanka, 30 to 40% fruits and vegetables go waste during the transportation due to non-application of proper post-harvest technics. Therefore, JASTECA-Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association has organised a five-day study tour to learn the technics and success stories in post-harvest technology in Thailand from 9 to 15 February. 

In addition to lectures the participants will also get an opportunity to visit the Thai Agro Exchange Co., Ltd, the biggest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Southeast Asia, Post-Harvest Laboratory & Food Innovation Service Plant at TISTR – Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research and Food Pack Asia 2020 Exhibition.

JASTECA, which is an alumni society of the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation for Sustainability, also organises training in Japan. Further information about JASTECA or its seminars can be obtained from the JASTECA office on 0112393566/0778582992 or email [email protected].