Post-harvest losses of perishable vegetables and their contribution to household dietary gaps in Kamonyi District, Rwanda

Post-harvest losses (PHL) of perishable vegetables have been a major problem that threatens food security and nutritional outcomes in sub- Saharan Africa. Smallholder farmers also incur heavy losses during the peak harvesting seasons in Rwanda, especially of fruits with high perishability. This research paper examined the extent of post-harvest losses of tomatoes, leafy greens, and carrots, as well as the role played by these foods in the household dietary deficiencies of Kamonyi District. Measures: The cross-sectional study was done in all of the 12 sectors of the Kamonyi District in the period between November 2024 and January 2026. The Yamane formula was used to do a systematic sampling of 384 smallholder vegetable farmers. The data were collected on physical loss data and nutritional quality deterioration data, household dietary diversity scores (HDDS), and vitamin A/C intake data. A controlled experiment was used to test the effectiveness of aloe vera-honey coating as an effective preservation. It found out that tomatoes, leafy greens, and carrots had an average of 34.7 percent, 28.3 percent, and 19.6 percent post-harvest losses, respectively. During the high harvest period, tomato prices decreased by 67.2 percent, and the field damage amounted to 18.4 percent. The loss-making families of high PHL (>30) had a significantly lower HDDS (4.2 ± 1.3) in comparison with loss-making families of low (<15) PHL (6.8± 1.1) (p < 0.001). The deficiency in the level of vitamin A intake was established at 62.4 percent in high PHL households compared to 31.2 percent of low PHL households. Aloe vera-honey was applied to vegetable tomatoes to extend shelf life by 158 per cent (18.6 days) and preserve 89.3 per cent of vitamin C in the samples (52.1 in the untreated samples). Nutritional shortages and deficiencies in dietary habits are both significant contributors in the Kamonyi District because post-harvest losses are significant. Low costs of preservation techniques, such as coating with aloe vera-honey, have a lot of potential in terms of loss reduction and improvement of the nutritional security of small-holding farming families.