Assessment of Post-Harvest Loss and Waste for Date Palms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A significant portion of date palm fruit is lost or wasted during harvest and marketing phases, with average losses reaching 12.6% across major production regions in Saudi Arabia. The study identified that varieties like Shishi and Shbibi in Al-Ahsa Oasis experience the highest damage rates (33%), primarily due to small size, cuts, browses, pest infestation, and non-pathological disorders. In contrast, Ajweh in Medina exhibited minimal damage (2.7%). The research analyzed 11 commercially available date varieties from key regions—Al-Ahsa, Riyadh, Qaseem, and Madinah—using photography to assess post-harvest losses. While most varieties suffered 5-10% loss during marketing, exceptions included Shagra in Qaseem (16-20%) and Ajweh in Riyadh (<5%). The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to mitigate waste, particularly in high-loss varieties.

El-Habbab, Prof. M. S., Al-Mulhim F., M. S. ,., S., A.-E., M., A. E.-S., F., A., A., S., & H., G. (2017). Assessment of Post-Harvest Loss and Waste for Date Palms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental and Agriculture Research, 3(6), 01–11. https://doi.org/10.25125/agriculture-journal-ijoear-may-2017-7