Using proper packing materials protects fresh vegetables from damage during transport, ensuring more of the harvest reaches the market in good condition.

Horticulture diploma students from the Tengeru Horticultural Research and Training Institute (HORTI Tengeru) in Arusha, Arumeru District, Tanzania visited the nearby Postharvest Training and Services Center (PTSC) at AVRDC’s Regional Center for Africa to participate in one-day training courses on postharvest handling and storage of vegetables on 22 and 24 May 2013. Ngoni Nenguwo, AVRDC Postharvest Specialist, guided the 32 first-year students and 34 second-year students through principles and practices small-scale producers can follow to protect the quality of horticultural crops from harvest to market. His lecture covered issues related to produce maturity, harvesting and handling methods; packaging options; and storage and transportation considerations. Ngoni also engaged the students in practical activities with solar dehydration, processing jams and sauces, and working with the ZECC (Zero Energy Cool Chamber), a low-cost evaporative cooler. He noted the students were interested in knowing how crop physiology affects the postharvest handling of crops, and were especially curious about the differences between precooling methods such as using water or ice, and which method works best for which crop.