Assessment of Post-harvest Losses and Preservation Techniques among Artisanal Fisher-folks in Oyan Dam, Ogun State

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the post-harvest losses among fisher-folks in Oyan dam. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select Ninety (90) respondents from the fishing communities. Data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire, and the collected data were subjected to descriptive and multiple regression analysis. The result revealed 53.30% of the fisher-folks were between the age of 40-59years, 80% of the fisherfolks interviewed were married, while 41.11% and 37.78% had primary and no formal education respectively. 64.44% of the fisher-folks had alternative jobs and their average total catch/effort is 30kg. The result also revealed that 48.89% and 35.56 experienced 10-20% and <10% post-harvest losses. Theft (83.33%), weather condition (56.67%) and lack of cold storage facilities (51.11%) were the major factors contributing to postharvest losses in the fishing communities. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that gender and experience are statistically significant (p<0.05) with postharvest losses. In conclusion, there’s a need for reduction in the postharvest losses in these fishing communities in order to enhance food security and sustain the environment.