Study on Feasibility of Safe Packaging for Economically Important Vegetable Transportation

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the technical feasibility of use of safe packaging for Brinjal, Okra, Bean and Long bean transportation which are major vegetables where the harvest is handled in very large quantities. They are excluded from the law to be transported in safe packages. The study was conducted through Dedicated Economic Centre (DEC), Dambulla to Manin market, Colombo supply chain. Plastic crates and polysacks bags were used as packaging types. Vegetables transported to DEC, Dambulla then packed in polysack bags and plastic crates and transported to Colombo. Weight loss, colour change, visual quality, firmness and disease incidence of products were measured at Manin market. After two days, these parameters of vegetables transported in both packaging types were measured to determine loss occur at retailer and consumer levels. At Dambulla, damaged vegetables were observed up to certain extent. Mechanical damage was the main cause for postharvest losses in okra where over maturity in long bean caused yellow colour of the produce thus total loss was increased. At the retailer and consumer stages, bean and long bean pods were yellowish in both packages while brinjal and Okra did not show detectable colour change. Fungal infections were observed at retailer and consumer level on long bean and okra transported in both packages. Overall visual quality of vegetables was also better when transporting in plastic crates. The study revealed that postharvest losses of bean and long bean transported in polysacks and plastic crates did not show considerable difference. But transport loss of brinjal and okra can significantly be reduced using plastic crates.