Current Postharvest Management of Sesame Farmers in Selected Area of Myanmar

Abstract

This study was conducted at Pwintphyu and Pakokku Townships, Magway Region, Myanmar in September 2016 and January 2017. The objectives of this study were to identify the farmers' perception and knowledge about postharvest handling practices of sesame and to compare the postharvest handling practices of sesame farmers between different areas of Myanmar. Total of 136 respondents were interviewed to understand the farmers' practices for postharvest management of sesame. The results showed that all respondents harvested and threshed the seeds manually in both areas. In Pwintphyu Township, postharvest operations were done in the fields, however, in Pakokku Township farmers worked on the threshing floor harden by the pasted cow dung and soil. The postharvest practices: such as stacking, stalks drying and storage methods were different between two areas. Regarding the awareness of postharvest management, stages at which the highest postharvest losses occur were different between two townships due to different management. Good quality seed, high yield, low labour cost and easy to work were also pointed as the advantages of postharvest technology in both areas. Using the plastic net or tarpaulin under the stacking and stalks standing, making threshing floor, harvest in right time, using enough labour, using harvester and covering threshing floor with tarpaulin were the management practices mentioned by respondents as methods to reduce postharvest losses. The farmers are weak in knowledge about storage management such as store pest control and packaging materials. Although farmers have the knowledge of the advantages of postharvest technology and how to reduce the losses, they have not tried to carry out. Therefore, it is needed to train the sesame growers to improve their postharvest practices, and private sector should support to mechanize in postharvest operation.