A Cluster-Based Information System for Supporting Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Sri Lanka's Traditional Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chain

Abstract

Post-harvest losses remain a major problem in Sri Lanka’s traditional fruit and vegetable supply chain. This study was conducted to understand how the supply chain operates in practice and to identify the challenges faced by actors at different stages. A qualitative exploratory approach was used, involving discussions with eight stakeholders representing farmers, wholesalers, operational managers, retailers, logistics operators, export-related activities and government officers. The discussions focused on current supply-chain practices, operational problems, bottlenecks and challenges in reducing post-harvest losses. The stakeholder findings were then examined alongside existing research to develop a broader understanding of post-harvest loss challenges and existing loss-reduction solutions. This comparison helped identify a gap between available solutions and their practical implementation across the supply chain. The analysis further indicates that limited information sharing and weak coordination among supply-chain actors make it difficult to apply existing loss-reduction measures consistently across different stages of the supply chain. Based on these findings, two related contributions are proposed. The first is a cluster-based information-sharing system that connects actors within existing supply-chain relationships to improve information visibility and coordination. The second is an incremental implementation framework that describes how the system can be introduced through small supply-chain clusters and progressively expanded based on adoption, identified problems, implemented measures and observed results. The proposed system and framework are conceptual and have not yet been empirically validated. Future research should assess their feasibility, adoption, and effectiveness in practice.