Cabbage supply chain mapping and postharvest loss in the domestic and export trade in Lao PDR

Supply chains for cabbage produced in Champasak Province, Lao PDR, for the domestic market (Vientiane City, about 750 km away) and for export (Ubon Lathsathani, Thailand, about 190 km away) and the existing practices and losses were determined. Domestic supply chain involved farmers and collectors in Pakxong District, the main cabbage-growing area in Champasak Province, and wholesalers and retailers in Vientiane. Farmers transported unpacked cabbages to the collectors’ house using tractor-driven cart. Cabbages were then trimmed, packed in 20 kg plastic bags, and transported to Vientiane by public bus. The wholesalers brought the cabbages to Nongteng Vegetable Wholesale Market for disposal to retailers. On the other hand, the export supply chain involved farmers and collectors in Pakxong District and Thai collectors who were also wholesalers and retailers. Untrimmed and unpacked cabbages were loaded to collectors’ trucks at six tons per load for transport to Songmaek Market, a border trading center at the Lao side of the Lao-Thai border. The Thai collectors bought the cabbages, which were then trimmed, packed in 10-kg plastic bags, and transported in large or mini trucks to their shops at Chaleansy Market in Ubon Lathsathani. Upon arrival, cabbages were re-trimmed before retail or re-packed in 7-kg plastic bags for disposal to other retailers in the market and other provinces. Postharvest loss was about 48.4% in the domestic supply chain and 52.5% in the export supply chain. In both chains, farmers incurred the highest loss of about 32% due to insect damage, rotting and over-maturity. Losses incurred by collectors in the domestic supply chain (3%) were lower than that of wholesalers (9.6%) and retailers (4%). In the export supply chain, Lao collectors had also lower loss (8%) than the Thai collector-wholesaler-retailers (14%). Most common causes of loss were physical damage and bacterial soft rot. Reducing product loss required production and postharvest interventions, including appropriate pest management, proper harvest maturity, proper trimming procedure, improved packaging and transport systems, bacterial soft rot control, and necessary care in product handling. Furthermore, price asymmetry was evident in both domestic and export chains. Farm-gate price was more than four times lower than retail price. To improve the economic opportunities of farmers, a consolidation system that coordinates and directly links production and postharvest operations to consistently meet product volume and quality requirements of markets is a future challenge.