Cultivation and postharvest handling practices affecting yield and quality of major spices crops in Ethiopia: A review

Developing agricultural production and productivity is the most important strategy in fostering critical capital shortage and enhancing economic growth and poverty reduction in Ethiopia. Spices, being a cash crop, have an immense potential for countries economic development through improving smallholder farmers, creation and expansion of employment opportunities and distribution of income and foreign exchange earnings. The diverse agro ecology, abundant cultivable land and cheap labor, proximity to the potential export market and favorable policy environment supports growing a wide variety of spice crops in Ethiopia. Pepper, ginger, turmeric, black cumin and korarima are the leading spices crops cultivated in Ethiopia. Even though, there is potential to produce and export spice crops, Ethiopia could not boost production and quality and hence, could not be competitor in the world spices market. Cultivation practices and techniques being practiced by smallholder farmers is not improved and more of traditional. Postharvest handling practices are also one of the concerns of spices growers in Ethiopia as most of the fresh harvested spices crops contained high amount of moisture, highly perishable and susceptible to microbial attack. Injudicious harvest and inappropriate postharvest handling practices may be potential threat for low quality. It is so important to know the existing cultivation and postharvest handling practices and constraints of major spices to increase production and productivity and quality thereby increasing profitability for growers. Therefore, by using and adhering to the improved cultivation and postharvest handling practices it is possible to boost production and reduce postharvest losses within a limited period.