The Sunday News
Features Writer
POST-HARVEST losses have become one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s fundamental food security concerns. These losses consist of produce that it lost or wasted between harvest and the moment of human consumption, anywhere along the value chain.
Agriculture plays an important role in Zimbabwe where more than 70 percent of the population is dependent on farming for their livelihood, yet post-harvest losses remain a major challenge to many smallholder farmers countrywide. About 30 percent of the harvested grain is lost due to lack of appropriate storage facilities, a situation forcing farmers to sell most of their grain soon after harvesting at very low prices, leaving them poor and vulnerable. More often than not, debate and discourse about post-harvest loss concentrates on statistics but not its adverse effect.
However, lately conversations have centred on how to scale the adoption rate of the post-harvest technologies available, to over one hundred and ten million smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Mr Brett Rierson, Head — Global Post-Harvest Knowledge and Operations Centre at World Food Programme (WFP) made some remarkable observations at one of the side events at the 44th session of the Committee on World Food Security. He asked how do we scale the adoption rate of the post-harvest technologies available, to over one hundred and ten million smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa that are currently facing losses up to 40 percent each harvest?
The true extent of post-harvest loss is the subject of some dispute as they are difficult to measure accurately. In Africa, post-harvest losses of maize from harvest to market sale are believed to amount to around 10-20%. Approximately 40% of these losses occur during storage at the farm and market, 30% during processing (drying, threshing, and winnowing), 20% in transport from the field to the homestead/ farm, and the remaining 10% during transport to market. (Source: Wikipedia)
Mr Martin Fischler for HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation enriched the dialogue by stating that “post-harvest loss does not start from storage but from the field.” Some of the key messages during the session: A market system development project is crucial to the stability of post-harvest management, by getting private sector engagement through the incentive of positive recognition for those companies selected to invest in reducing if not eradicating post-harvest losses.
There should be a reduction of too many divergent approaches; one is by abolishing indiscriminate use of subsidies in favour of encouraging subsidisation for demand creation rather than subsidising the programmes themselves. By subsidising the cost of simple post-harvest technologies for farmers, that impedes the development of the market system for these products. But, if the available funds are channelled into supporting the entire market system by reducing the constraints impeding the effective adoption by farmers. The micro-finance aspect is still being neglected and we need to encourage investment into post-harvest management by providing access to credits.
There is an inherent need to create genuine private demand and supply — simultaneously. For example in the market development of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) in sub-Saharan Africa where local manufacturers of LLINs were supported to reduce cost of production while massive public awareness campaigns were done to sensitise people about the importance of this product to prevent mosquito bites which invariably will eradicate malaria. Also, there is a fundamental need to learn to accept the reality that sustainable solutions require time to develop. In many developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa post-harvest losses have been seen to mostly occur during storage when the grain and fresh produce is being stored or while farmers wait for selling opportunities or a rise in prices.
Consequently, cutting post-harvest losses is expected to contribute sizable quantities of precious agro-produce to the global food supply. There is a concerted effort by key food security players like the World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organisation to support smallholder farmers and agricultural markets with a strong push towards greater focus on reducing food losses through the Zero Loss initiative. The world in general and Africa in particular is moving from subsistence farming to surplus production but efforts to mitigate post-harvest losses are just barely scratching the surface.
To reach any reasonable level of success in combating post-harvest losses, a growing need to bring the private sector players on-board has arisen. Such partnerships are expected to explore the business opportunities and not the aid opportunities in combating post-harvest loss which means that private sector players should be ready to invest in simple technologies that will help in reducing post-harvest loss and also be willing to distribute these products along their existing supply chain to reach farmers. It is also critical to change the perception in the fight against post-harvest loss and to begin to see farmers as consumers not as beneficiaries.
In the Zimbabwean context, and in response to post-harvest challenges faced by farmers, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Government, through its agricultural extension arms — Departments of Agricultural Mechanization and AGRITEX, rolled out a project aimed at reducing post-harvest grain loses.
The project was able to assess three types of improved grain storage that suit different rural situations in the country. These were, metal silos, the improved brick granary and hermetic grain storage bags. The project also trained local artisans to manufacture and construct the storage facilities.
Meanwhile, Agro specialists, business people and academics from across the continent are among the key stakeholders that are expected attend the first ever Post-harvest and Agro Business Summit and Exhibition to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa next month.
The Summit being held under the theme “Post-harvest loss and Agro Processing in Sadc- Current developments and trends”, is the first of its kind in Africa and is an initiative of Southern Africa in Media in Agriculture, Climate and Environment Trust (Samacet) headed by Mr Chiyedzo Josiah Dimbo the founder and the organisation’s Chief Regional Co-ordinator. Samacet partnered with AgriQuest Africa Network and Hanell International to organise the Summit which will be held from September 26 September to September’s 27.
Dr Eugine Makaya a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology’s Faculty of Engineering who will be presenting a paper titled “Technology and Innovation in post-harvest management and agro-processing” spoke to Sunday News last week and confirmed his participation at the Summit.
Another speaker at the Summit, Mr Claude Maredza a Harare-based nutraceutical entrepreneur also expressed his excitement at the opportunities that the Summit presents to the agro sector. Through his company Chapwati Enterprises, Mr Maredza is developing innovative ways to harness natural resources for the production of medicinal foods. He is expected to present a paper on Post Harvest Funding Challenges: The Case of Harurwa Nutraceutical, A Medicinal Food. — Additional reporting from online sources.
