NATURE, CAUSES AND STAGES OF POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN RICE PRODUCTION IN KURFI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KATSINA STATE.

Abstract

The study investigated the nature, causes and stages of postharvest losses in rice production in Kurfi LGA of Katsina state. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 135 rice farmers in the LGA who were interviewed with the aid of a well structured questionnaire. The Study revealed that at least 98% of the respondents agreed to have experienced PHL at one point or the other and 73% of them rated their experiences of PHL as serious. About 81% of the losses were due to breakages. A most notable cause of losses is at the storage stage and caused by rodent attack (93%). The quantity of loses estimated varied at different stages. The Study concluded that PHL significantly affects the what is available to the consumers in the study area. The study recommends trainings on PHL for farmers and other actors on the rice value chain in the study area.