POST HARVEST ECONOMIC LOSSES IN PEACH PRODUCTION IN DISTRICT SWAT

Peach is widely grown in the Swat District and enjoys a ready market nationally as well as abroad. A large part of this valuable crop is, however, lost at post-harvest stage. This study estimates the loss to be of the order of 23 % on average for different varieties taken as a whole; the range being 18 % to 31 %. Bulk of the total loss (77 %) taken place at peach picking stage, while 23 % loss occurs during transportation. A substantial reduction in post-harvest losses is possible through training of growers and others engaged in farming, picking, crop handling operations etc. The net marketable produce can be increased substantially further by providing training and counseling to growers also in pre-harvest crop management. Most of the surveyed growers showed their willingness to adopt improved pre and post harvest practices, and they also appeared capable of benefiting from training to these ends, which is the task to be performed on a larger scale, than now, by the public sector.