I. INTRODUCTION
Post-harvest handling of agricultural produce became very crucial for Indonesia since the economic crises of 1998. During this period the Indonesian agricultural sector
proved to possess greater ability to survive and endure than many other sectors. Consequently improvement of quality of exportable produce, including vegetables, has
become a priority of concern in order to extent marketing opportunities. In Indonesia fresh handling of vegetables is still carried out by traditional methods,
without hardly any sorting or grading prior to marketing. Therefore, post-harvest loss reduction of vegetables, both quantity and quality loss, must begin at the farm level.
Although quality of fresh produce can not be improved by post-harvest handling, however it is necessary for extending shelf-life. Figure 1 below shows the current status
in traditional farming and traditional post-harvest handling systems in Indonesia.
Figure 1. The Current Status in Traditional Farming and Traditional Post-Harvest Handling System in Indonesia
H A R V E S T I N G
INDIVIDUAL POST-HARVEST HANDLING TECHNOLOGY
WHOLESALER TRADITIONAL MARKET FIELD FARM
UNGUARANTEED QUALITY PRODUCTS CORPORATE POST-HARVEST HANDLING
TECHNOLOGY. TECHNOLOGY UNUSED TECH.
CONSUMER TRADITIONAL FARMING
TECHNOLOGY MIDLE – HI TECH
PACKING-HOUSE SUPER MARKET
Hartulistiyoso 2003 mentioned four reasons why post-harvest handling should be carried out at the farm level, respectively a Vegetable farmers are mostly small-land
holders 0.2 – 0.5 ha with limited investment abilities, b All farm-work is done manually with simple tools, c Sanitary and food-safety conditions at packing stations
are poor, and d Produce management is also poor. In Indonesia the development of quantity and quality of production in order to obtain
high added value, require the application of post-harvest technology. Figure 2 shows the expected development of the production and post-harvest handling systems.
Figure 2. The Expected Development of the Production and Post-Harvest Handling Systems
FIELD FARM
HARVESTING
PACKING HOUSE COLLECTOR HANDLING PROCESSING TERMINAL
ASSURANCE OF UNIFORM QUALITY PRODUCTS
SATISFIED CONSUMERS
SUPER MARKET EXPORT
POST HARVEST HANDLING TECHNOLOGY
-
CORPORATE FARMING
-
GREEN HOUSE
MARKETING TERMINAL
Introducing appropriate post-harvest technology at the farm level require research on a Storage stability at ambient and low temperatures and b Packing and packing methods
of produce. For the moment research will be carried out on broccoli and white cabbage since broccoli is the most highly priced cole-crop in Indonesia although it is not
extensively grown, while white cabbage is the most extensively grown vegetable on Java as well as the outer islands.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Brassica Vegetables: White Cabbage and Broccoli