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Technical and Economic Factors Affecting Losses in Sweet Cherry Production: A Case Study from Turkey

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting losses in sweet cherry production. The research was carried out in the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir province, which is one of Turkey’s most important sweet cherry production centers. The research data were obtained from face-to-face questionnaires with 102 farmers. Losses in production derive from poor practices in three distinct stages of activity on the farm: pre-harvesting, harvesting, and post-harvest processes. Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis was used to determine the technical and economic factors affecting these losses. Results indicate that “experience of sweet cherry production,” “experience in agriculture in general,” “quantity of production” and “certified production” had a significant negative effect on sweet cherry losses. “Technical problems in production” and “reasons for sweet cherry crop losses” had a significant positive effect on sweet cherry losses. It is thought that promoting certified production methods such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and organic farming, increasing the effectiveness of public agricultural extension services and agricultural organizations will have a positive effect in reducing rates of loss and improving quality.