Kenya promotes hermetic bags to mitigate harvest losses

Kenya on Wednesday launched a campaign to reduce post-harvest losses by providing hermetic grain storage bags.

Minister of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries Willy Bett said the six-month campaign will help reduce post-harvest losses that stand at about 10-30 percent in Kenya.

He said that last year losses amounted to an estimated about 108 million U.S. dollars yet it can be reduced through appropriate technologies during storage.

The bags can protect stored grains from pests, rodents, birds and fungi, thus enabling farmers to keep grain year-round for household consumption while providing the household with a marketable asset in case of emergency, according to the official.

"This technology allows farmers to reap the benefit of improved prices, which are normally depressed during harvesting period," Bett said.

A 2014 survey by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that current post-harvest losses in Kenya are at least 15 percent in strategic maize production zones, and much higher in some of the food-insecure areas.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, annual losses in grains alone are valued at 4 billion dollars, which aggravated the region's already severe hunger. Endit