28 June 2016

Smallholder farmers to benefit from improved bags to store their grains

Farmers display grain that they had stored in bags for nine months after. FILE PHOTO 




Most farmers face the dilemma of what to do with their produce after the harvest; to wait for a favourable price in the market to sell or sell immediately to avoid losses when the produce goes bad.
While those who deal in perishable products such as milk or fish may have to take the other option, those who deal in products such as grains may have to explore options of how to store the harvest for much longer periods.






Meet the need
To deal with this challenge, over time for as long as farmers have had this need, various methods of post-harvest storage have been adapted, innovated or invented. Dependent on the conditions and environment in which farmers operate, the methods have either met the need or not.
But for those in Oyam, the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags have proved effective.
The district was one of the 21 in which a project to popularise the bags was being implemented by National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA Uganda).






Training
The other districts are Bukomansimbi, Mubende, Kiboga, Kamwenge, Kasese, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Kiryandongo, Hoima, Masindi, Kibaale, Apac, Lira, Dokolo, Kole, Iganga, Sironko, Bugiri, Mbale and Kapchorwa.
The project commenced its activities in June 2015. Under it, smallholder grain and legume farmers in 3,200 villages were trained in the use of PICS bags. The aim was to improve medium- and long-term storage and thus reduce post-harvest losses.
After a year, an open bag ceremony was held at Entebbe Centre in Oyam District to demonstrate the effectiveness of the bags in post-harvest storage. During the ceremony, the farmers who had kept their produce for about nine months opened the bags in a demonstration of how well the bags worked.
The event was attended by various stakeholders including farmers from the other project districts.






Empowerment
While presiding over the ceremony, the Oyam RDC Jillian Akullu said, “Such innovations are what our people hoping for so that they are assured of more income and food security.”
This was echoed by the project manager Peter Mugisha who said, “Promoting such an innovation is what change and empowerment is all about.”






editorial@ug.nationmedia.com






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