Strategic Plan for Reduction of Post harvest Losses of Agricultural Products.

anglais. Access to sufficient, safe and suitable food is pivotal to infrastructural and well being of future generation. Keeping in view the rapid population increase and standard of living, are reason behind rise in consumption of agricultural products in Iran. About 30-40% of agricultural products which amounts to 3 billion dollars are lost during harvest to consumption on yearly basis in Iran, if these losses are reduced to significant level 15- 20 million people can be fed. In order to overcome challenges with regards to food security, several solutions including increase in area under cultivation and yield, rise in import, population control etc. are recommend, but each of above solution have their own limitations. Therefore it can be concluded that optimum utilization and reduction of post harvest losses are most practical approach. Based on FAO's manual report 43.5% of the basic food products in under developed countries are lost due to insect pest and diseases, weeds, drought and during post - harvest operations. In Iran based on latest annual report released by ministry of Jihad _e_ Agriculture about 16% of cereals and pulses and 28% of horticultural products are lost during cultivation to consumption. Reduction of post-harvest losses contributes to productivity. The first step to reduce losses is access to basic scientific and technical information, In Iran unfortunately until now no comprehensive study for determination of exact amounts of losses in post-harvest situations has been carried out. . In this context Agricultural Engineering Research Institute initiated a strategic plan for studies pertaining to loss reduction of agricultural crops in Iran. According to FAO definition any changes in Quality which renders agricultural products unusable to consumer is considered a loss. Food losses are either qualitative or quantitative. Food losses from point of view of food security, economic, political ...

anglais. ...and strategic are important. Studies Carried out by loss reduction office of ministry of Jihad_e_Agriculture suggests that 90% of losses of 60 different horticultural and agricultural crops belongs to 20 crops. Base on this information a strategic plan by formation of following working committees was drawn. ٧٣١ 1- Cereal post harvest loss Reduction c committee 2- Vegetable post harvest loss Reduction c committee 3- Oilseeds post harvest loss Reduction c committee 4- Stone and seeded fruit post harvest loss reduction committee 5- Tropical and sub _ tropical fruits post harvest loss reduction committee. 6- Citrus fruits post harvest loss reduction committee. In the process of drawing the strategic plan several meetings and sub_meetings was organized by active participation of representative of Research institutes and agricultural specialist from concerned organization. The final report was prepared with following titles: 1- Present status of post harvest losses. 2- Evaluation of problems and limitations. 3- Priority setting for achieving the goals. 4- Identification and privatization of pivotal research activities in post harvest agriculture. 5- The loss reduction strategic plan on agricultural and horticultural crops was presented and approved during a seminar attended by his Excellency agricultural minister, Deputy agricultural minister for research and educating and committee of deputies on 88/5/11 Iranian calendar year.