A recent AlertNet post, “Kenyan farmers beat drought – and then battle pests”, highlights the story of a Kenyan farmer who successfully increased his maize yield using drought resistant varieties of maize only to be confronted by post-harvest storage problems.
Thanks to a four-year collaborative initiative between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) hundreds of Kenyan farmers have adopted drought-resistant varieties of maize, increasing their food security. However, an especially voracious grain borer is just one of several insects that have been attacking their post-harvest stores.
Villagers joke that the borer is so dangerous that once it is done with the stored grain it may well go for the farmers.
Effective Grain Storage
CIMMYT ‘s Effective Grain Storage Project is helping African maize farmers to protect their source of sustenance and income.
Small metal silos enable harvested maize to be stored for years at a time. Made of galvanized metal, the silos are airtight, so they keep out insects and suffocate any that might have been stored along with the grain. The grain remains edible and free from pests, so farmers can feed their families or sell their crops when prices are at their most favorable.
CIMMYT is working with local organizations to train artisans to make and sell these silos, so that they will be more plentiful and affordable to those who need them the most.