Level 6 · Part 1
Why storage matters, and why products spoil
Storage buys time. Moisture, heat, pests and handling take it away.
Most crops are harvested in a short season, but people eat all year. Storage bridges the gap. Done well, it lets you sell when supply is short and demand is higher. Done badly, it turns a good harvest into a loss.
| Cause | What you may notice | A first response |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Mould, caking, bad smell, soft or sticky product | Dry thoroughly before storing and keep damp out |
| Heat | Faster ripening or rotting, change of colour or taste | Shade, ventilation, cooler place where possible |
| Pests | Holes, droppings, webbing, live insects, chewed packs | Clean store, seal gaps, inspect often |
| Rough handling | Bruises, broken or crushed produce | Gentle handling and suitable containers |
| Dirt and cross-contamination | Off smells, dirty product | Keep food away from chemicals, fuel and animals |
Whether it is worth storing something depends on the product, the cost of storing it, the risk of loss and what you can expect to earn later. These differ by crop, place and season, so weigh them with your own information rather than general figures.
Exercise 6.1 · What could ruin my product in storage?
- Choose one product you store or plan to store.
- List the causes from the table that could affect it.
- Mark the most likely one and write how you could check whether it is happening.
Background reading for this part:
- 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)
- Value from village processing (Diversification booklet 4) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Peter Fellows