**2.4 Packaging and sales**

The ultimate goal of packaging is to keep pepper fruits in good condition until they are sold to consumers (**Figures 1**–**3**). Pepper fruits are packaged to protect them from injury and water loss and be convenient for handling and marketing [27]. Packages should also provide information about the produce, including the grade, handling instructions and appropriate storage temperatures. Improper packaging and transportation methods, lack of shade or precooling facilities to remove field heat to reduce respiration rate and consequent deterioration rate are the reality among small-scale farmers in most developing nations. In Nigeria, for example, Adewoyin and Babatola observed that none of the marketers and farmers used the plastic crate designed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute (NSPRI) to prevent physical damage to produce. This corroborates the findings of Olayemi *et al.* (2010) on the assessment of postharvest challenges of small-scale farm holders of tomatoes, bell and hot pepper in some local government areas of Kano State, who observed that peppers were typically harvested at a fully ripe stage (90%) and that most farmers still use the traditional basket and sack as their packaging material in conveying produce, which resulted in massive post-harvest losses of about 62.5%. Harvesting cardboard has been observed to be much more appropriate than polypropylene bags for fresh fruits. Harvesting cardboard boxes can go a long way in maintaining the quality of peppers for the following reasons: They bear the weight of the product compared to second-hand grain sacks, where the
