Main Factors Affecting Post-Harvest Grain Loss during the Sales Process: A Survey in Nine Provinces of China

Xiujuan Chen, Linhai Wu, Lijie Shan and Qiuxia Zang
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Xiujuan Chen: Institute for Food Safety Risk Management, School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Linhai Wu: Institute for Food Safety Risk Management, School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Lijie Shan: Institute for Food Safety Risk Management, School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Qiuxia Zang: Institute for Food Safety Risk Management, School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Ensuring food security has always been a top priority of the Chinese government. However, China’s grain supply is facing challenges due to limited resources for grain production and the growth of domestic grain consumption. Reducing post-harvest grain loss represents one of the most realistic and effective ways to ensure grain security in China. In view of the importance of grain sales in the post-harvest period, we conducted a survey, interviewing 1890 grain sellers across 54 regions in 9 provinces of China, to investigate the factors affecting post-harvest grain loss during sales. The results of the survey show that grain storage conditions have the greatest impact on post-harvest grain loss, followed by transportation. Display and sales have the least impact on grain loss. The Tobit regression model was used to analyze the main factors affecting post-harvest grain loss during sales. The findings suggest that the seller’s education level, years of working as a seller, the conditions of grain storage, and the supply and management level of public facilities in the market were negatively correlated with grain loss in the sales process, whereas the seller’s age, the separation of sales shops and storage warehouses, and the fall season were positively correlated with grain loss. Policy implications are also provided for potential future policy decisions.

Keywords: food security; post-harvest grain loss; sales process; survey; Tobit regression model; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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