APEC Seminar on Strengthening Public-Private Partnership to Reduce Food
Losses in the Supply Chain
05 - 08 August 2013 , Chinese Taipei
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 Agriculture-based economy: rice is staple food with the total rice growing area of 7.7 million ha and total food production of c.a. 48.5 million tons (2012); Population: 87 million, 70% of which living in rural areas.
 Agriculture sector also key to sustain growth and reduce poverty: 21,65% of GDP in 2012, contributing around 24% of export revenue.
 Post-harvest losses are reported to be 1-2% of GDP varying between commodities and
seasons: post-harvest losses of rice (13.7%), other food grains (10%), tubers and roots (10-20%), fruit and vegetables (20-30%);
 Factors contributing to post-harvest losses: cutting, threshing, drying, storage, pests and diseases, transport and milling
Stage of production
Harvest/cutting
Threshing
Drying
Storage
Milling, processing
Rice (%)
1.3 - 2.9
1.4 - 2.3
1.6 - 1.9
2.6 - 2.9
2.2 - 3.3
Maize (%)
-
3 - 4
5
10
2.2 - 3.3
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 Average post-harvest losses of rice in Viet Nam:
Stage of production
Harvest/cutting
Threshing
Drying, cleaning
Transport
Storage
Milling
Total
Losses (%)
1.3 - 1.7
1.4 - 1.8
1.9 - 2.1
1.2 - 1.5
3.2 - 3.9
4.5 - 5.0
13 - 16
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Policy constraints:
 Lack of attractive policy and incentives to promote investment and research in addressing postharvest losses.
Resource constraints:
 Financial gap serves as a critical barrier
 Human resources: limited staff with qualification and experiences.
 Technology: lack of appropriate technology to address research and development of post-harvest losses reduction.
Limited capabilities and involvement of farmers:
 Production dominated by small farmers with limited access to resources and technology.
 Farmers role limited to field operation with little value addition
 Lack of farmer incentives to adopt new technologies
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 Conducting comprehensive research and studies for food losses in food system: variety improvement, post-harvest technology, utilization and marketing
 Support to institutional and policy development: strengthening institutional and policy framework to enhance agricultural production, agribusiness sector, infrastructure and small scale enterprises
 Providing a favourable conditions for the delivery of local agricultural services: pesticide fertilizer use, storage (cold and warehouse), transport, marketing…
 Establishing goals or targets for food loss reduction for a range of target audience (education campaigns for producers, growers, processors, consumers).
 Developing markets for different grades and types of agricultural products
Strategies:
 Focus on strengthening Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME).
 Private and Public partnership: maximum leverage of private investments with diverse range of revenues and profitability
 Integrated approach: Production under quality control and management for domestic market and export.
 Focus on boosting processed goods rather than export of raw materials.
 Objective to engage and enable smallholder producers and thus allowing the whole sector to advance.
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