Determinants of post-harvest losses among smallholder tomato, kale, and papaya producers in East Showa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Michael Tarekegn; Sibongile Tekana; Michael Antwi; Shimelis Admassu

doi:10.31279/2782-6414-2025-3-4

Авторы

Michael Tarekegn College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7955-3374
Sibongile Tekana College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA)
Michael Antwi College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3896-4502
Shimelis Admassu Addis Ababa University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31279/2782-6414-2025-3-4%20

Ключевые слова:

Tomato, kale, papaya, post-harvest loss, smallholders, food security, Multiple Linear Regression Model, Oromia

Аннотация

Introduction. Post-harvest losses (PHL) are a major constraint for smallholder vegetable farmers, reducing income, food availability, and household resilience. Understanding the extent and determinants of these losses is vital for designing effective interventions.
Aim. To analyze the demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and institutional factors influencing post-harvest economic losses in the vegetable value chain of the Oromia region, Ethiopia.
Materials and methods. Primary data were collected using KoboCollect from 359 randomly selected vegetable-producing households using a semi-structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and frequency) in SPSS version 24.0, and a Multiple Linear Regression Model was applied to identify factors influencing post-harvest losses.
Results. Households cultivated an average of 0.475 hectares of land, with vegetables contributing 70.95% of total income and livestock 26.17%. Tomato, kale, and papaya recorded post-harvest losses of 11.84%, 8.62%, and 13.81% at producer level, respectively. Regression results identified yield, cultivated area, production experience, age, weather, transport, labor, and education as significant determinants of PHL.
Conclusions. Post-harvest losses significantly undermine the livelihoods of smallholder vegetable farmers. The findings highlight the need for training, affordable storage facilities, integrated pest management, and strategic investments in infrastructure, irrigation, and marketing. This study contributes to existing literature by integrating socioeconomic, biophysical, and market factors, offering practical insights for enhancing food security and farmer resilience in the region.

To cite: Tarekegn M., Tekana S., Antwi M., Admassu Sh. Determinants of post-harvest losses among smallholder tomato, kale, and papaya producers in East Showa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Research in Economic and Financial Problems. 2025;3:4. https://doi.org/10.31279/2782-6414-2025-3-4