Abstract This study examined the relationship between tomato post-harvest handling practices and farmers’ welfare in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 384 tomato farmers selected through a multistage sampling technique involving purposive and random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess both the measurement and structural components of the model.

The results revealed that education had a significant positive effect on the welfare of farmers, while household size exhibited a significant negative effect. In contrast, age and farm size were statistically insignificant, indicating that these factors do not meaningfully influence welfare outcomes. However, distance to market had a significant negative effect, suggesting that farmers located farther from markets experience lower welfare due to higher transaction costs and reduced access to buyers.

Among the postharvest variables, storage practices (β = 0.995, p < 0.001) showed the strongest and most significant positive influence on farmers’ welfare, followed by sorting practices (β = 0.050, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that improvements in storage efficiency, product sorting, and proximity to markets significantly enhance farmers’ income, reduce losses, and improve living standards. Accordingly, the study recommends that policies should prioritize farmer education, targeted training in sorting and storage practices, and the strengthening of agricultural extension services to promote postharvest quality preservation, minimize losses, and enhance the overall welfare and resilience of tomato farmers in Benue State.