Mango Varieties and Causes of Post-Harvest Losses in Kwande Local Government Area, of Benue State, Nigeria Sambe, Ngutor Department of Sociology, University of Mkar, Mkar-Nigeria Abstract Post-harvest losses of mango fruits are a major challenge to mango farmers who incur huge financial losses and the economy of Benue state which loses much in terms of revenue. The main objective of the study is to investigate the causes of post-harvest losses of mango fruits among farmers in Kwande Local Government Area. Specifically, the study was aimed at exploring mango varieties produced by the farmers; determine causes of post-harvest losses of mango fruits among the farmers and recommend how postharvest losses of mangoes can be controlled for increased profitability. The study used a cross sectional survey design while questionnaires and Key informant interview were used to collect data. Data analysis involved the use of percentages and transcription of opinions. The study found that most (32.1%) of the mango farmers in the study area were aged from 50-59 and majority (60.4%) of the farmers were males and married (82.8%). Also, most of the mango farmers had Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) qualification. The study also found that over fifteen (15) varieties of mango fruits were cultivated in the study area. The varieties include Local mango, Julie, Peter, Hindi, Dausha, Broken, Kpan-Peter, Kpan-Julie and Ihorzwa and Ikyekpev, John, Mummy and Ambrose, German, Kotonu and Kerosene. The major causes of postharvest losses of mango fruits in the study area include weather (heat or rain), livestock, bats and rodents, disease, poor handling techniques, sap, insects such as wasp and ants, poor harvesting techniques and lack of preservation infrastructure, handling of the fruits especially during transportation. The study therefore recommends for provision of preservation infrastructure for mango farmers which could keep the fruits in safe environment that will protect the fruits from attacks from animals, insects, rodents and adverse weather; processing of mango fruits into semi finished foods and provision of specialized air-conditioned vehicles for transporting mango fruits for sale. Key words: Post-harvest losses, Mango fruits, Farmers, Kwande Local Government Area Introduction Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the second most grown fruit in the world. It is grown in commercial quantities in more than 90 countries worldwide. Worldwide production of mango fruits was forecasted to reach a volume share of 51 percent of total global major tropical fruit production in 2017 and is one of the two tropical fruits that have witnessed the strongest growth in popularity. Among the producing countries, India is the main global producer with 18.8 million Metric Tonnes (MT), followed by China (4.8 million MT), Thailand (3.4 million MT), Mexico (2.2 million MT) and Pakistan (1.6 million MT), Brazil (1.4 million MT) are placed 5th and 7th respectively in the world. Nigeria is the largest producer (917617MT) of mango fruits in Africa and 10 th largest producers of mango fruits in the world. In Nigeria, the main producing states include Benue, Jigawa, Plateau, Yobe, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba and FCT. However, Benue state is a top producer in the country (Avav and Uza 2002: Yusuf and Salau, 2007; Altendorf, 2017; FAOSTAT, 2016). Globally, mango is one of the tropical fruits with biggest increase in demand, especially in developed countries. It has been revealed that between 1990 and 2017, the demand for mango fruits grew at about an estimated annual growth rate of 10 percent. Global exports of mango fruits were estimated to reach 1.7 million tonnes in 2017. This represented a 6.3 percent increase from 2016, considerably faster than the 4.6 percent average annual growth registered between 2007 and 2016 (Huang, 2010; Iyango, et al 2012; Altendorf, 2017). Large markets for fresh PAT June, 2020; 16 (1): 104 -112 ISSN: 0794-5213 Online copy available at www.patnsukjournal.net/currentissue Publication of Nasarawa State University, Keffi