Assessment of Potato Postharvest Loss in Awi and South Gondar Zones, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Potatoes experience extensive physical, chemical, and physiological changes during harvesting, curing, storage, handling, shipping, and marketing, resulting in quality degradation and weight loss. The study used 540 farmer respondents, 270 for each zone, and formal questionnaires to investigate postharvest loss of potatoes in the Awi and South Gondar zones of Ethiopia's Amhara Region. The overall postharvest loss from production (farm-gate level) to consumption level was 205.43 and 171.51 kg/ha in the Awi and South Gondar zones, respectively. A total of 99% of farmers in the Awi Zone, as well as all South Gondar respondents, lost potatoes after harvest. The Awi Zone experienced the highest and lowest average losses of potatoes during storage (44%) and transportation (3%), while the South Gondar Zone also had the highest and lowest potato loss levels during storage (34%) and transportation (2%). Potatoes were collected manually in all research locations using conventional methods like animal plowing and hand tools, without the use of automated harvesting techniques. According to the survey, 92% of farmers in the Awi Zone and 90% in the South Gondar Zone employ traditional storage systems, while 7% and 9% use contemporary methods. In the South Gondar Zone, 100% of respondents analyzed seed storability, while in the Awi Zone, 84% did so. Gudene is the most popular cultivar for seed storage, accounting for 38% in the Awi Zone and 44% in the South Gondar Zone. However, 16% of respondents were unaware of potato varieties suited for seed storage in the Awi Zone.