POSTHARVEST STORAGE AND PRESERVATION OF TROPICAL CROPS

On a world-wide basis, post-harvest losses of durable crops are estima ted at 10%, but in Africa, Asia and Latin America, losses of 20% are f requently encountered. Attention is now being focused on improving far m-level post-harvest systems in many developing countries for all type s of crops, namely staple foods, export crops, secondary food products and animal feeds. The humid tropical climate promotes microbial proli feration on food crops and feeds, often resulting in formation of myco toxins. Improvements in the traditional post-harvest crop-handling and storage techniques would minimize or eliminate losses caused by biode teriorative agents. The post-harvest storage of some tropical crops an d traditional methods of food preservation are described.