PHDEC conducted a webinar on the topic of “Harvest and Post-Harvest Management of Chillies”. The aim of the webinar was to bring the maximum of the stakeholders on board to discuss harvesting, post-harvest handling of Chillies to minimize the post-harvest losses, and availability of premium quality Chillies in domestic and international high-end-market. Target audiences of the webinar were processors, progressive growers, R&D and private companies.
Pakistan is 4th largest Chillies producing country around the world with 143,000 tonnes of annual production and 150,000 acres of cultivation area. Sindh, which produces 126 million tons, contributes around 88 percent of the country’s total chilli production. which leaves room for value-added products of Chillies. Pakistan has a quite low number of Chillies recipes and there is a need for introducing more value-added products for household and other industries.
Principal Scientific Officer, PARC-National Sugar and Tropical Horticulture Research Institute (PARC-NSTHRI), Shared the current area and production of Chillies in Pakistan and last 5 year’s growth trend. He explained the reasons of low production in Pakistan and impact of malpractices and lack of knowledge of recommended production technology of Chillies on quality, yield and post-harvest losses. He also trained the growers on harvesting, safe handling, packing and packaging of Chillies. He also explained the causes of post-harvest losses, lack of skilled labors, Immature/premature/over mature harvest, poor sorting and grading practices/poor temperature and relative humidity in storage/Improper packing and drying. He recommended that Chillies growers should adopt modern techniques for harvesting post-harvesting and government should provide facilities of packing materials and access to market to minimize post-harvest losses. Chillies crop is one of main sources of income for the people of rural areas of Sindh. so, the production of this crop may be converted into an industry. Arrangement of field days, seminars, lectures on pest management and demonstration of improved production technologies will improve overall condition of Chillies crop of Pakistan.
He explained about the post-harvest losses of Chillies at different stage from harvesting to packing and transportation. He briefed about the techniques to minimize post-harvest losses. He also explained the method of harvesting and time of harvesting of Chillies, and modern techniques of sorting/grading and packaging of Chillies.
A large number of participants from growers, processors, exporters, R&D and academia participated in the webinar and appreciated the PHDEC’s initiative of conducting the webinar on an important topic of Harvest and Post-harvest Management of Chillies.
