Interview

Hi All, this week I decided to interview a couple of the new M.Sc students here at JUCAVM in lieu of the usual update. It's a short discussion meant to give the reader perspective on the students' motivation behind studying Post-Harvest Management, the need of such programs in Ethiopia, and their ideas on what they can do to solve agricultural problems. Enjoy!

Manny


Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. July 3, 2012.
Gerefa Sefu and Misale Kuru

Mannfred: First off, what is meant by Post Harvest Management, what does it entail?

Gerefa: Post Harvest Management is essentially the control of crop losses from the ‘farm to the fork’. Controlling any losses. 

Mf:  So what sorts of activities define Post Harvest Management? 

Misale: I think it’s a process, it’s not one activity or another. It starts at the harvest and continues until it reaches the customer or consumer. It involves, after harvest, anything like pre-cooling, cooling, packaging, processing, whatever is needed. It’s a long process, keeping the quality of food products.

Mf: Why do you think PHM has been identified as such an important issue? Why not pre-harvest management?

G: I think Post Harvest Management is ‘Pre-Pre-Harvest Management’ [laughs] because when there is no Post Harvest Management, there are no good pre-harvest contributions. If Post Harvest Management fails, everything before it does as well.  So, Post Harvest Management is the mother for all Ethiopia. 

Mf: How can PHM improve the lives of Ethiopians at both the local and national level?

Ms: You can see after farmers produce a crop, when it gets to a market it’s already deteriorated. If we can help them to handle their products correctly or practice the right types of management after harvest, they can boost their crop sales and also profits. If they contribute to the growth of their hometown economy and feed themselves and their families, then you can say the country as a whole is developing. After that, we can start to extend our market to the international level. 

Mf: What does modern Post Harvest Management research include? 

G: Modern Post Harvest Management includes extending the shelf-life of perishable commodities and products. This means modifying storage facilities and proper handling. This is the modern concept of Post Harvest Management. 

Ms: It’s a broad question, it can include a lot of different research. We can develop packaging, we can develop storage conditions…the main idea is to strengthen the shelf-life of the products. 

Mf: So does this mean a focus on laboratory or field work? Is there one that seems to be dominating in modern Post Harvest Management research? 

Ms: Both ways. We can do food fortification or food preservation in the lab, also storage research or packaging materials. At the same time people are doing their research in the fields. We collect data from both areas. 

G: Post Harvest Management is very broad. So, it’s not defined by the field or the lab. First, we find where the problems are and the location is secondary.  

 Mf: So this is about you guys. What are your PHM research interests? What will you be doing during your Master’s degree? 

G: My project will be on the mango fruit, extending its shelf life through waxing. I’ll be using essential oils extracted from cinnamon, clove, and ginger.  I’m hoping to make a contribution to society. Mangos are produced only in one season a year for the whole market. After that, they disappear. So, to improve the presence of that fruit in the market we need to extend its shelf life. We can use different mechanisms including good storage, packaging, atmospheric modification, and also through waxing. 

Mf: So does waxing prevent oxidation, pests, or something else? What is the main purpose of waxing? 

G: Waxing is very important for preventing oxygen from entering the fruit. If oxygen enters the mango, it creates favourable conditions for microorganisms, fungus, bacteria. If you prevent oxygen from entering, you can deter these things. So, the rate of production and shelf-life is increased and more mangos are available for longer durations in the market. 

Ms: My work will be with oranges. In modern times oranges are lost in Ethiopia due to diseases. I’m identifying these pathogens and why they’re attacking oranges. Part of the M.Sc program includes a plant pathology course so I’ll be working with plant pathologists studying Colletotrichum spp. and anthracnose diseases. 

Mf: When Suze and I were in Addis Ababa we noticed lots of different types of fruits. Is fruit being produced primarily in one part of the country or are they coming from all over?

Ms: They’re coming from everywhere.  If they’re produced outside of Addis or some urban area, they’re brought to the market. That means if you’re in one of these centres, you can find oranges anywhere. The problem right now is bringing the products across the country. 

G: Mangos are being produced in the West and South of Ethiopia. Asosa, Jimma and other Southern parts of Ethiopia too. They’re being brought to these urban areas, but there are losses associated with this transport.

Mf: As Ethiopians and students of agriculture, what do you identify as the most pressing issues in Post Harvest Management? 

G: I think the number one problem is connecting all the Post Harvest Management controls. So, connecting technology and knowledge. The harvesting, handling, and processing process especially is not done correctly, over 50% of losses are coming just from harvesting. In the market, storage is a real problem. Technology needs to be incorporated into the storage, handling, and harvesting systems. 

Mf: Can you think of a good example of how harvesting technology could be used to reduce that 50% loss?

G: Yeah, a simple technology is being used for mango fruit collection. There are a lot of losses because the fruits hang so high from the trees and become damaged when they fall. So, they need to be harvested without injuring the fruit and technology has improved this. The harvesting basket is simple, but effective.

Mf: How does the harvesting basket work?

G: It’s just a basket with a hook to cut the fruits from the tree. The basket is designed with materials that prevent damage to the fruits. It’s much better than landing on some hard surface like the ground. 

Mf: And Misale, what do you see as the most pressing issue in Post Harvest Management? 

Ms:  I agree with him but a new problem is the know-how. If the resources are available but the people don’t know how to use them, then there are no improvements. They need workshops to show them the best way of using what is available to them. The focus should not just be on new technology but how to use what they already have. It’s a major problem for rural farmers. 

Mf: Farming methods in Ethiopia are often passed down over generations and hold a traditional value. Do you think if university or government agencies try to teach farmers new methods, they will accept or reject them? 

Ms: I think they like modern concepts, but the problem may be that what they are being taught requires some costly equipment, or they do not know how to use such equipment. They may also not understand the importance of some machine, or think it will damage their soil for example. If we teach them before they are in the field, then there is no problem. 

Mf: So do you think Ethiopia needs these new, better technologies, or to use what they have better? What do you see as more effective? 

G: I think if technology is developed that is good, but we have become economically relevant with what we have so far. I think we need to focus on small things first: processing and handling. These things can be improved without much improvement to our existing technologies. 

Ms: What he said is right, we need to maximize the use of what we already have first. 

Mf: What do you see for the future of Ethiopian agriculture?

Ms: I can see that in the past five years we’ve developed our agriculture quickly. I’ve witnessed it. Our future is good; we will be able to export our fruits and vegetables on the international food market. Students like us, the next generation, will be able to do something better for the country. 

Mf: What will be the major agricultural products coming from Ethiopia? 

Ms: Coffee! For sure. Everyone already knows Ethiopia for its coffee.

G: In the future we’ll be exposing our products to other countries, even Canada. Mangos, coffee, bananas. I’m expecting this in the future. 

Mf: Do you have any concerns that Ethiopia will begin to export its products before it has taken care of its own people? 

G: Yes that’s an issue. It’s a matter of organization. As of now, Ethiopia is exporting raw materials and importing the processed product. We’re buying our own products that have been processed. For example, we have oilseed plants here for making our own oil, but instead we buy our oil from foreign countries. We export oilseed from Ethiopia and then buy the oil. By producing our own product we could provide for our own society and sell the extra products to the international market. So…it’s possible.

Ms: I think it’s possible. That’s one of the goals of Post Harvest Management. With some effort we should be able to feed ourselves and access international markets. Management should be so good that these things are made possible. The problem is the losses; we produce a lot, but we also lose a lot. If Post Harvest Management is improved we can do both. ⌂ 

Misale Kuru, 1st Year M.Sc in Post Harvest Management, Jimma University

Gerefa Sefu, 1st Year M.Sc in Post Harvest Management, Jimma University

 

**Also, this just in, Suze has made attempt #2 at making some Injera. Photo evidence soon to follow.