Towards sustainable agriculture: Unravelling post-harvest losses in Tamil Nadu's farming landscape

Despite an upsurge in production, substantial losses incurred within the supply chain can be attributed to post-harvest factors, encompassing both post-harvest and food losses. Globally, a staggering one-third (1.3 billion tons) of food is squandered or misplaced during postharvest operations, while India witnesses the wastage of approximately 30 to 40 percent of its total agricultural output. This study endeavors to gauge the post-harvest losses and their corresponding monetary implications for key crops, namely Paddy, Sorghum, Redgram, and Groundnut, at the producer level in Tamil Nadu. The study is rooted in primary data collected from 480 agricultural producers across diverse districts, employing a meticulously devised multi-stage random sampling technique. Findings reveal that the post-harvest losses for paddy, when examined at the farm level, constitute 3.46 percent of the total production. This figure is comprised predominantly of threshing losses, which alone contribute 51.50 kg per hectare, accompanied by drying losses of 44.25 kg/ha and winnowing losses of 21.51 kg/ha. Similarly, the calculated post-harvest losses for sorghum, redgram, and groundnut relative to total production stand at 3.16 percent, 2.34 percent, and 1.11 percent, respectively. Furthermore, the economic impact of these post-harvest losses amounts to a significant Rs. 180.76 crore. In light of these findings, the study strongly advocates the implementation of skill-oriented training initiatives for both farmers and the younger generation in the realm of post-harvest management. Furthermore, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies is recommended to curtail the incidence of post-harvest losses. This empirical investigation offers invaluable insights into field-level post-harvest losses and proffers strategic measures to mitigate their impact.