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Effective
grain storage for better livelihoods for African farmers
Grain Storage Project
 Summary
Maize is core to food security, rural
development and poverty reduction in eastern and southern
Africa (ESA). Lack of appropriate grain storage technologies
results in significant losses due to post harvest pests,
undermines food security, forces farmers to sell maize
when prices are low, and blocks value addition and credit
opportunities to poor households. The project targets
and experimentally implements the “POSTCOSECHA”
metal silo approach for improved grain storage in selected
pilot areas and countries of ESA. It is supported by
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
and draws on the highly successful experiences in Central
and South America and the Caribbean. Apart from initiating
the program in Africa, the project will provide SDC
and other potential investors with conclusive insights
on the viability, impact potential and actual scale-out
pathway for a longer-term program in ESA.
Long-term goal
Increased and more secure incomes
and reduced vulnerability of resource-poor rural maize
producers in sub-Saharan Africa through the implementation
of a sustainable long-term (10-year) program which provides
affordable and effective on-farm storage technologies
to an increasing number of African smallholders.
Expected impacts of improved
maize storage technologies include:
- Decreased maize storage losses
leading to increased food availability and income
- Postponed sales of surplus maize
realizing higher grain prices
- Increased use of maize grain for
value addition (feed)
- Availability of grain as collateral
increasing credit rating of farmers
- Increased household food security
and incomes with positive effects on poverty reduction,
resilience, education and health
- Increased and more stable maize
grain production meeting in-country and regional demands
for maize
- Greater stability of maize prices
and more reliable maize grain supply
- Employment and business opportunities
for manufacturers, traders and processors
- Increased income generation among
farmers, manufactures and processors stimulating rural
development
Objectives of the 2008 - 2010
Pilot phase
- Assess the potential for
the implementation of the metal silo approach within
the ESA maize belt (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique,
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
- In two countries, select pilot
areas for the implementation of metal silo manufacturing
to assess scale-out potential of the technology
- Identify in-country lead organizations
(NGO, private sector) to implement training of instructors/manufacturers
and manufacturing of silos in pilot areas
- In collaboration with SDC, support
South-South knowledge transfer from Central America
to pilot areas
- Assess the economics of maize
storage and storage pest control measures in pilot
areas
- Assess micro-economics of metal
silo production (among manufacturers) and purchase
(among farmers) in pilot areas
- Advise on scale-out potential
of technology to other areas and countries in ESA
Current status
 Metal
silos are most likely to succeed where farmers have
local surplus production and experience most significant
storage losses. CIMMYT used GIS approaches to assess
these parameters and pinpoint areas of likely implementation.
Target countries were visited to identify institutions
that prioritize postharvest issues and are interested
in participating in a validation study. Institutional
parameters such as the availability of phostoxin at
farm level were also assessed.
Due to the magnitude of the problem, the interest in
improved postharvest technologies in eastern and southern
African countries is very high. Phostoxin has been used
in Central and South American countries to greatly reduce
( to almost nil) maize storage losses in metal silos.
However, it is generally neither approved nor available
for use by farmers in ESA. Nevertheless, metal silos
have been used in certain areas, such as by Catholic
Relief Services (CRS) in Kenya, where farmers report
significant reduction of maize storage losses. Other
organizations (eg Grain Pro) are implementing use of
“Super Bags” as an alternative for improved
grain storage.
The project has identified World
Vision International in Malawi and the Catholic Dioceses
of Embu and Homa Bay in Kenya as in-country lead organizations
(ICLOs) for the experimental implementation of use metal
silos in four target areas in 2009. The project will
analyze the experience with the implementation of use
of metal silos in areas with high adoption potential
and the experiences of partners with complementary activities
(existing metal silos, Super Bags) to arrive at conclusions
about the scale-out and impact potential of metal silos
in ESA by 2010.
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