Pérdidas de cosecha del plátano : un estudio exploratorio en el Valle de Sixaola, Costa Rica

Abstract

Over the past years the cultivation of plantains for exportation purpose have increased tremedously. Owing to this, small farmer associations were created to comercialize the crop in conjunction with banana companies. This imposed strict conditions with respect to crop management and the quality of plantains being produced. One consequence of these requirements, is that a significant portion of the production is rejected. This study was realized in the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica between the months of November (1990) an March (1991), with the objective to quantify crop losses, especially with respect to fruit damage between harvesting and transportation to the packaging unit.