An assessment of the magnitudes and factors associated with postharvest losses in off-farm grain stores in Kenya
Investigators interviewed grain storage personnel in 39 public and 74 private stores from the 6 maize growing agroecological zones
Abstract
Off-farm grain storage is an important postharvest undertaking by government, traders and processors in Kenya.
This article offers insights on results of the survey conducted for a period of one year (2014/2015), to assess the kinds and magnitude of grain losses in private and public stores, and the factors associated with the losses. Using a structured questionnaire, the investigators interviewed store supervisors or key personnel charged with grain storage in 39 public and 74 private stores, spread across the six maize growing agroecological zones in Kenya. Findings show that total perceived losses were attributed to insects, moulds, moisture, rodents, spillage and birds. Lower losses were associated with cleaning and drying grain before storage, timely pest control, and a storage period shorter than two months. The poor adherence to best practices in storage of maize was the cause of the high losses of maize in store.
These findings provide important reasons for assessing the current off-farm storage techniques, with a view to making improvements, to lessen maize postharvest losses. Because these losses are significant, innovations to mitigate maize postharvest losses should also target off-farm storage.
This work is partly funded by the UK Department for International Development, a core donor of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.
Citation
Mwangi J. K., Mutungi C. M., Midingoyi S.-k.G.M., Faraj A. K. and Affognon H. D. (2017) An assessment of the magnitudes and factors associated with postharvest losses in off-farm grain stores in Kenya. Journal of Stored Products Research 73, 7–20. 10.1016/j.jspr.2017.1005.1006.