ASSESSMENT OF POST HARVEST LOSSES OF COMMON VEGETABLES IN DHAKA DISTRICT

The main purpose of this study was to assess the losses of vegetables as perceived by the distributer. Also explore the relationships of the selected characteristics of the vegetable distributer with the losses of vegetables as perceived by them. The selected characteristics were age, average expenditure, annual income of seller, experience in vegetables selling, knowledge on vegetables selling and problem facing by the distributors. Data were gathered from 15 distributers of three largest markets Amin Bazar, Kawran Bazar and Jatrabari Bazar in Dhaka district during the period of January 2016 to March 2016. The findings revealed that the highest proportion of the losses (36 percent) due to lack of water, while 29 percent perceived losses due to rotten of vegetables and 17 percent of them perceived losses due to insect/pest attack/diseases. Due to cool temperature also made 14 percent losses of vegetables and losses due to crack or damage and lack of remove excess foliage and stalk percent was very nominal (2 percent). The statistical analysis exposed that annual income from vegetables, experience in vegetables selling; knowledge on vegetables selling and problem facing by the distributer had significant relationship with the losses of vegetables perceived by them.