See on Scoop.it – Precision Agriculture

The three main objectives of applying postharvest technology to harvested fruits and vegetables are:

to maintain quality (appearance, texture, flavor and nutritive value)to protect food safety, andto reduce losses (both physical and in market value) between harvest and consumption.

Effective management during the postharvest period, rather than the level of sophistication of any given technology, is the key in reaching the desired objectives. While large scale operations may benefit from investing in costly handling machinery and high-tech postharvest treatments, often these options are not practical for small-scale handlers. Instead, simple, low cost technologies often can be more appropriate for small volume, limited resource commercial operations, farmers involved in direct marketing, as well as for suppliers to exporters in developing countries.”

See on postharvest.org