Farmers advised on proper grain storage

15 Jun, 2014 - 00:06 0 Views
Farmers advised on proper grain storage

The Sunday News

grainNgonidzashe Chiutsi Farming Correspondent
MATABELELAND North provincial agronomist, Mr Davison Masendeke, has challenged farmers to employ proper grain storage practices after harvesting their crop and ensure that it is free from moisture, insects and pests.Experts say post-harvest losses can be between 20 to 30 percent in storage alone and can be as high as 40 percent when including field, transportation, handling and processing losses.

Most farmers in Matabeleland region have just finished harvesting their maize, millet and sorghum crops and Mr Masendeke urged them to ensure that they store the grain properly in order to avoid unnecessary losses.

“We want to urge farmers to ensure that they store their grain properly. Soon after harvesting their crops they should ensure that it is well dried and avoid putting it in the granary while it is moist. They should not also over dry it,” said Mr Masendeke.

The agronomist also said farmers should also meticulously treat all the grain with recommended chemicals before storing it.

“Farmers should treat each grain with chemicals because they may contain eggs which may later hatch and produce pests that can destroy the grain. There are pests like weevils that can damage the crops,” said Mr Masendeke.

He also said all the bags that are used to store should be treated with chemicals as they may harbour pests that may destroy the grain.

“Farmers should clean all grain handling equipment and bags before harvest and storage of new grain,” he said.

Mr Masendeke added that farmers should also carefully inspect storage bins and ensure that there are no cracks, holes or gaps that could be potential entry points for insects or rodents that may destroy the stored grain.

Experts also say new grain should never be stored on top of existing grain. It is highly recommended to remove old grain and cleaning bins before adding new grain.

Farmers should also remove any grain or grain dust from inside the bins by sweeping empty bins and brushing down walls.

They should also look for possible moisture leaks in the roof and repair them.

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