Level 6 · Part 4
Fresh produce and stock control
Gentle handling, cool and shaded storage, and a simple way to keep track of stock.
Fresh fruit, vegetables and roots are living products. They keep breathing after harvest, lose water and can ripen or rot quickly. Much of the loss happens through rough handling and heat.
- Handle gently: do not drop, throw or overfill containers.
- Keep product in shade, off the ground and out of direct sun.
- Use clean, suitable containers with enough ventilation.
- Sort out damaged or rotting items so they do not spoil the rest.
- Be aware that some ripening fruit gives off a gas that makes other produce ripen and spoil faster, so ask what can be stored together.
Cooling and cold storage
Cooling can greatly extend the life of many fresh products, but cold rooms need reliable power, regular maintenance and the right settings for each product. Start with shade, ventilation and handling. Consider cooling only when you have steady buyers and a plan for power and repairs. Some low-cost cooling methods exist, so ask local advisors what works in your area.
Keep simple stock records
Write down what came in, when, how much, from where, and what went out. Use first-in, first-out: sell or use the oldest stock first. Label each lot with its date or batch code. A simple notebook is enough, and it tells you quickly what is at risk of being kept too long.
Exercise 6.4 · My storage plan
- Choose a product and write where and how you will store it, and for how long.
- Write the three biggest risks and what you will do about each.
- Write how you will keep a record of what is in store and use the oldest first.
- Write what would make you decide to sell earlier than planned.
Background reading for this part:
- Value from village processing (Diversification booklet 4) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Peter Fellows
- Small-Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops (4th edition) — L. Kitinoja and A. A. Kader, University of California, Davis (hosted by FAO)