Evaluation of Losses at the Primary Production Stage of Edible Carrots

The aim of the article is to present the magnitude of losses at the stage of primary edible carrot production and to indicate directions for redistributing production waste. The study included producers of edible carrots located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, whose average yield size in the years 2019-2021 corresponded to 15% of the total yield collected in the voivodeship and approximately 2.4% in the country. Based on expert interviews and commercial documentation analysis, it was found that, due to high customer demands regarding the appearance of carrots (“cosmetic standards”), on average, only about 44% of the weight of calibrated carrots intended for sale constituted the mass of the harvested raw material. Approximately 7% was allocated to processing plants, and around 26% of the raw material mass was used for animal feed. The remaining portion of the harvest represented production losses (19%) and fuel for biogas plants (4%). In order to reduce production losses, primarily resulting from the depreciation of items solely based on their appearance, recipients (e.g., retail chains) should enable producers to deliver less visually appealing raw materials with corresponding price discounts. It is also crucial to raise awareness among customers through educational and promotional efforts, emphasizing the equal nutritional value of raw materials regardless of their appearance (straight, curved, thicker, thinner). This will increase both the product’s availability to the public and production efficiency for the producer.