An efficient commodity storage solution is a critical component in strengthening value chains that enable trade for increased income and the reduction of post harvest losses to improve food security and protect the environment.
Over the years progress has been made in developing and providing storage solutions to smallholder farmers to improve food security and to commercial and public enterprises to facilitate trade and the management of food reserves. These efforts which have targeted peasant farmers and large to medium sized private and public enterprises are yet to benefit the small but market-oriented farmer (the emerging farmer) because there are limited storage options for this category of farmer. The emerging farmer requires a durable, low cost storage system that can withstand multiple handling while still preserving the quality of the commodity.
The hermetic bag that has been popularized although effective in maintain quality is mostly suitable for storing grain for household food security. The small hermetic bag is not suitable for trading operations because it requires non-multiple careful handling making it costly for commercial use. So, there isn’t a readily available suitable storage option for the emerging farmer-trader. Although larger hermetic bag options have been developed, however these are costly for low value staples like maize and require skilled management.
As indicated above, the hermetic bags available on the market are not suitable for the small farmer-trader because the bag is fragile for rugged operations, takes small volumes and costly for commercial use. Evidence from the field show that the bag is mostly suitable for household food security.
So, what is the hermetic storage solution for this category of farmer who engages in small commercial operation? The solution lies in training them in applying the hermetic technique on readily available air or watertight containers like metal or plastic drums. Around the farming community there are a lot of sufficiently airtight drums or containers which can be used to store grain provided the users are trained in storing grain in airtight containers or environments.
The training of commercially oriented smallholder farmers on the Hermetic Storage Technique will ensure the farmer cum trader have access to a readily available storage solution which suits their operations.
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