International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7, No. 26, 239-245
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Figure 1 Carrot wholesale price at Kalimati Market in 2016
Note: KFVMDB, 2017
3.4 Supply chain constraints and market-based solutions
It is crucial to assess the market-based solutions to recommend the feasibility and interventions. The assessment
of supply chain constraints and market based solutions intervention and facilitation are suggested (Table 3).
Table 3 Market based solutions addressing supply chain constraints of carrots in Nepal
Constraints
Market Based Solutions
Low volume of production and quality
(size, shape and colour) not meeting the
requirements of buyers
Carrot production zoning
Timely availability of quality inputs (seeds, fertilizer etc.)
Training on carrot production and postharvest handling
Poor market information and pricing
mechanism
Easier access to reliable market information though collaboration between traders
and media agencies and mobile applications for price information.
Lack of processing facilities and
knowledge on postharvest handling
Provision of small scale carrot processing unit near to collection centre
Training on grading, packaging, processing and quality standards to farmers, local
traders, wholesalers and retailers
Poor infrastructure
Establishment and upgradation of collection centres in each production pockets
Provision of cold storage facility
Lack of easy Nepali language
manual/booklet on carrot production and
postharvest handling
Development and distribution of easy Nepali language manual/booklet on carrot
package of practices and postharvest handling
4 Postharvest Losses
It is of prime importance that the carrots should have high quality and should fetches high prices during marketing.
Due to highly perishable nature of carrots, there is always a big challenge to have a good quality at marketing time.
However, the losses can be minimized by proper handling, proper storage and transportation.
In most of the production pockets, grading is not practiced for carrots. Farmers mention that grading is labour
intensive and there is no significant difference in price for graded and non-graded carrots at farmers level.
Traditional packaging practice is found common in the study areas and farmers are slowly adopting the improved
packaging materials too. Normally, carrots packed in Jute bags & plastic crates are used for distant markets.
Carrots are mostly packed in 70-90 kg capacity Jute bags. Traders have started using crates for packaging after
purchasing from farmers. But, growers don’t find it appropriate because of the difficulty in carrying from hillsides
and its high initial investment (NRs 500 per crates). Now some of the farmers are realizing the benefits of less loss
and high-quality produce in crate packaging and they are willing to adopt it. The study showed that postharvest
loss of carrot is 35 per cent. The loss occurred at farm gate is 10%, at collection point is 2%, at wholesale market
5% and finally at retail market 18%. The loss is low at collection point this is because at this level carrots are just
collected and timely goes to wholesale market Kalimati. According to the data collected in May, 2016 the farm
gate price was NRs. 45 and the consumer price NRs. 75 for it (Table 4).
