{
  "title": "Post-Harvest Storage and Handling: The Basics",
  "description": "Protect harvested produce through timely shade, careful sorting, clean containers and crop-appropriate storage.",
  "category": "Farm Management",
  "readingMinutes": 3,
  "wordCount": 260,
  "topics": [
    "post harvest handling",
    "farm produce storage",
    "reduce harvest losses",
    "vegetable storage",
    "harvest quality"
  ],
  "url": "https://www.dasotorganicfarms.com/articles/post-harvest-storage-and-handling-basics.html",
  "image": "https://www.dasotorganicfarms.com/assets/bholi-harvest-worker.webp",
  "imageAlt": "A farm worker harvesting crops by hand at Bholi Farm",
  "author": "19AGRO · Dasot Organic Farms",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-09-28",
  "fieldContext": "Rajasthan, India",
  "serviceArea": "India",
  "sourceDiscipline": "General field learning; site-specific decisions require crop, soil, season and management context.",
  "nextStep": {
    "label": "Turn observation into a brief",
    "title": "Bring the field context to 19AGRO.",
    "copy": "Share the site, question and constraints so the next step can be proportionate.",
    "href": "/solutions.html#services"
  },
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "A successful crop can lose quality quickly if produce is left in heat, handled roughly or stored without sorting. Post-harvest planning should begin before picking."
    },
    {
      "type": "heading",
      "text": "The first handling matters"
    },
    {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Harvest at suitable maturity and during a cooler part of the day where practical. Move produce into shade promptly and avoid unnecessary dropping, compression or exposure."
    },
    {
      "type": "heading",
      "text": "Sort before storage"
    },
    {
      "type": "list",
      "items": [
        "Remove damaged or diseased items.",
        "Separate produce by maturity and intended use.",
        "Use clean containers with suitable ventilation.",
        "Avoid packing wet produce unless the crop requires it.",
        "Keep produce away from fuel, chemicals and animals."
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "heading",
      "text": "Let the crop determine storage"
    },
    {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Leafy crops lose moisture quickly. Fruits differ in temperature and handling needs. Root crops may require different cleaning or curing methods. Avoid applying one storage rule to every harvest."
    },
    {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Record harvest time, quantity, rejected produce and storage losses. These notes reveal whether the problem began in the field, during handling or after storage."
    }
  ]
}