Abstract

Desale Gebretsadik*

Regarding post-harvest loss of sesame, this study looked at large-scale growers in the Kafta Humera district of the Western Zone, Tigray region, Ethiopia. Its specific goal was to fill in the study gaps by quantifying post-harvest loss and examining the factors that influence it among large-scale growers of sesame in the Kafta Humera District. To achieve these objectives, the study made use of primary and secondary data from desk reviews and field surveys. Utilising a multistage sample technique, 126 large-scale sesame farmers were identified. The percentages of sesame grain post-harvest loss, calculated using the simple descriptive statistics method, were as follows: harvesting (13.5%), drying (51.5%), un-threshed leftovers (17.4%), piles transportation (7%), storage (4.62%), and cleaning (1.8%). These losses resulted in a loss of 24.6% of the large-scale producer's total production. The total amount of sesame produced, the weather, the mode of transportation, the distance piles travelled, the number of stacking days, the educational level, the distance to the farm, the size of the sesame land, the amount of credit obtained, the income from off-sesame farms, road access, the number of storage weeks, and the management of harvesting and threshing were found to be significant determinants of post-harvest loss for large-scale farms using the multiple linear regression analysis m Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that large-scale producers be better capacitated by means of improved education, more readily available loans at reasonable interest rates, close farm monitoring, and regular farm visits from well-managed farms. It's also preferable to introduce drying and harvesting technology to reduce post-harvest loss.