Post-Harvest Deterioration and Loss Management Practices of African Indigenous Vegetables Across Urban Value Chains in Cameroon

Abstract

Post-harvest deterioration remains a persistent constraint on the availability, quality, and economic value of African indigenous vegetables in Cameroon. Much of the existing literature documents, in general terms, that heat, poor storage, and transport delays drive such losses; less evidence exists on whether exposure to these mechanisms differs systematically, and statistically significantly, across value-chain actors. This study assessed post-harvest handling practices, causes and signs of deterioration, and loss-reduction strategies for Vernonia amygdalina, Vernonia hymenolepis, Solanum scabrum, and Solanum lycopersicum among producers, traders, processors/handlers, and consumers in five urban centres of Cameroon (Yaoundé, Buea, Douala, Bamenda, and Bafoussam), using a structured, researcher-facilitated digital questionnaire administered to 71 respondents. Beyond descriptive statistics, chi-square tests of independence and a logistic regression were used to test whether respondent category is significantly associated with reported loss causes, deterioration signs, and coping strategies. High temperature/humidity (59%) and poor storage conditions (55%) were the most frequently reported causes of loss overall, and respondent category was significantly associated with reporting poor storage as a cause (χ2 = 14.01, p < 0.001), transportation delays (χ2 = 9.36, p = 0.009), wilting (χ2 = 12.22, p = 0.002), discoloration (χ2 = 7.54, p = 0.023), and use of refrigeration (χ2 = 9.74, p = 0.008). In logistic regression, producers showed markedly higher odds of reporting poor storage as a cause of loss than consumers (OR = 4.16, p = 0.055), while processors/handlers showed significantly lower odds (OR = 0.26, p = 0.034); years of experience was not a significant independent predictor. These findings provide statistical, not merely descriptive, evidence that post-harvest loss exposure is structured by value-chain position, and indicate that interventions should be targeted by actor group, with producers a priority for storage and transport infrastructure investment, rather than applied uniformly. The study is limited by its non-probability sampling approach and modest sample size; findings should be interpreted as indicative rather than nationally representative, and are intended to inform a broader PhD research programme on nutritional and biochemical changes in these vegetables during processing and storage.