What is transportation?

Transportation occurs throughout the value chain, whenever crops are moved from one step to another – from field to processing facilities, field to storage facilities, and processing facilities to market. Transportation losses are relatively very low in developed countries.

What causes postharvest loss at this stage?

Lack of adequate transportation infrastructure results in damage of food products through bruising or breakage, or spillage losses. Additionally, the more times a crop must be transported, the higher the possibilities for loss. Low-quality bags that are loaded and unloaded many times will eventually start to leak.

What does research focus on?

Transportation-specific research focuses on quantifying actual losses, which vary greatly by countries and crops. To read articles and find research about transportation and postharvest losses, refer to the table below.

TitlesAuthorsTagsPublication DateCategory

Monitoring Grain Bed Conditions during Truck Transport of Soybeans in Brazil

Olsen, Jonathan W.W., et al

Drying, Transportation, Soybeans, Maize, Moisture Management

2013

Journal Article

Grain Supply Chain Network Design and Logistics Planning for Reducing Post-Harvest Loss

Nourbakhsh, Seyed Mohammad, et al.

Processing, Transportation, Maize, Value Chain

2016

Journal Article

Robust Grain Supply Chain Design Considering Post-Harvest Loss and Harvest Timing Equilibrium

An, Kun, and Yanfeng Ouyang

Storage, Transportation, Marketing, Maize, Oil Seeds, Value Chain

2016

Journal Article

Condition Assessment of Trucks Used for Soybean Transport in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Wilhelmi, Christopher, et al.

Transportation, Oil Seeds

2014

Journal Article

Development of a Grain Monitoring Probe to Measure Temperature, Relative Humidity, Carbon Dioxide Levels and Logistical Information during Handling and Transportation of Soybeans

Danao, Mary-Grace C., et al.

Drying, Storage, Transportation, Oilseeds, Moisture Management

2015

Journal Article