Going to the source
Abdalah Issa, a tomato grower on his farm at Kisakasaka – Central Zanzibar, Tanzania. He received training in good postharvest handling of horticultural crops and grades his produce before marketing. The sticks are used to tie up the vines as they grow to keep them off the soil.
Farmer Ally Hungu prepares to harvest mature tomatoes for home consumption at his farm located in Umbuji, Central Zanzibar. He attended postharvest training provided by WorldVeg in Zanzibar.
It’s a long ride for these farmers transporting eggplant from Zanzibar’s South region to the market in the West region — a distance of more than 50 km. This fresh produce is not carefully packed and the heavy sacks on top compress those below. These practices damage the fruit and cause considerable postharvest losses at market.
On a recent trip to evaluate the costs and benefits of grading vegetables in Zanzibar, WorldVeg Eastern and Southern Africa staff member Roman Fortunatus had the opportunity to meet farmers and observe field practices.
Roman Fortunatus (left) interviewing Rizwan Hamis Ally on postharvest handling of horticultural crops especially green peppers and tomatoes. Rizwan was trained in postharvest practices by his father, who was trained by WorldVeg. After the interview, Roman shared some good farm recordkeeping methods.
Issa Mashauri Kamata at his green pepper farm in Mtule, Zanzibar South. He attended WorldVeg postharvest training and practices grading and recordkeeping for his farming businesses. He uses drip irrigation with water supplied from a well; the water table is only about 10 meters below the surface in Zanzibar.
