Hermetic storage- after COVID-19

COVID -19 is going to impact more on agricultural production and surviving strong men and boys will move to cities in hopes of earning income, leaving women and girls behind to work on their small farms where crops are already failing due to impact of climate change.  Use of hermetic storage for grains is to solve aflatoxin growth, post-harvest losses, food insecurity and poor producer-market link. 

My solution is proposing use of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) a trademarked hermetic bag that consists of two inner bags made of high-density polypropylene with an outer woven polypropylene bag. The solution is a good storage for cereals that is widely grown by women famer groups in eastern part of Uganda. It can be scaled globally because the solution is linked to food security, low use of insecticide, reduction food contamination; improve sale, food loss and waste reduction that are less GHG intensive

The specific problem is food loss and waste, low business models for small scale famers (Employment/Incomes), Health and Nutrition. In my community Teso region analysis by  relief web https://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/uganda-ipc-acute-food-insecurity-analysis-october-2018-march-2019results  show that 715,000 people are stressed and survive on 1 or 2 meals a day but with reduced dietary diversity while 117,000 are in a food security crisis. Poor and delayed harvests have contributed to increased food insecurity and the number of the stressed population depending on one meal a day. With the outbreak of COVID-19 more men will migrate to cities leaving women and girls behind to work on their small farms and will experience reduced or stagnant growth rate while average prices for cereals will increase. Overall cereals such as maize production will decrease by 12% against it price that will increase by 90% and for rice its production will experience a decrease up to 23% that will push its price to 89% while other cereal production will decrease by 8% pushing their prices to increase to over 83%.The major factors contributing to this is post-harvest loss and lack initiatives supporting female famers with enterprises, poverty, lack of technology, climate change and outbreak of COVID19.

My solution is Hermetic bag or Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) which is system that consists of two inner bags made of high-density polypropylene with an outer woven polypropylene bag. Hermetic bags work well to reduce insects’ damage to stored cereals. The technology is also used by used small scale famers to reduce post-harvest loss that usually occurs in food supply value chain.  PICS bags allow farmers to store their grain without the use of insecticides, and provide them the flexibility to sell when prices are high, while having chemical-free high quality food for their families throughout the year.

Hermetic storage is a technology that will improve on traditional drying and storage practices with a great hope of promise. This advancement in commercially viable and locally available options for smallholder farmers, hermetic storage offers tangible hope in mitigating aflatoxins.

Avg cost of hermetic bag per year

$1.25

Savings through not buying insecticide

$0.81

Value of 1.8 kg of moisture loss

$0.72

Value of 2.7 kg of insect loss

$1.08

Total savings per 90kg bag

$1.36

Total savings per avg 4 bags stored

$5.44

The targeted population is 56 small scale women famer groups of 30 members each who form biggest percentage of food production in Teso sub region. Beside they are mother and mother to be who faces a huge challenge with poverty, diseases- Aspergillus fungi, low income- purchasing  power  that has continue to threaten efforts their efforts to achieve agricultural development, food security, and better health outcomes.

As programs Manager, I have led development of these famer groups through capacity building on causes and effect aflatoxin, post-harvest lose and food wasted at house level and the next is provision of hermetic storage to play a role in arresting aflatoxin growth, reducing post-harvest losses, and supporting food security through provision of tools. This solution will help in fighting Aspergillus fungi, known to cause liver cancer, immune-system suppression, growth retardation, and death in both humans and domestic animals.  Secondly, the solution is beneficial in preventing infestation and moisture loss, reducing post-harvest loss and food waste at house hold level. Third benefit is improving on supply chain practices to reduce food loss, scaling technology models for small famers connections and improving nutrition outcomes let alone their benefits to climate action.

The problem of food loss and waste, low business models for small scale famers is linked to over 715,000 people surviving on 1 or 2 meals a day and 117,000 having effects of liver cancer, immune-system suppression, growth retardation, poverty, low purchasing power and illiteracy and death in both humans and domestic animals.  Purdue Improved Crop Storage (hermetic storage) is align to problem by increasing productivity, employment and value addition in food systems, Protect and enhances natural resources while improving livelihoods and foster inclusive economic growth of the targeted population to enhance the resilience of people.

My solution is so innovative and stands advantages over local polypropylene sack that are widely used to as packaging bags to transport cereals. Silos and traditional granaries is another competitor with great loses and has huge intake of aflatoxin.  In caparison In off-farm tests, three tested hermetic devices – a 90 kg capacity PICS bag, an artisan built metal silo, and Grain Pro’s Grain Safe 1000kg capacity bag – reduced aflatoxin increases in storage to less than 5 percent per month, compared with PP bags, which increased 24 to 92 percent per month. Hermetic Storage is linked to Food Security because if assuming four 90kg bags of maize stored over 4.5 months, two seasons a year is translated to an additional 44 meal portions per season, or more than 8 meals for the entire family of five, because less was lost to insect damage and moisture loss which is not case the above listed technologies.

My solution is not a new technology but has been abandoned and yet very important for cereal famers like those in my community. The proposed technology will promote the use of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS ) also sometimes known as super bags have shown excellent results in reducing

Storage losses due to storage insects and in maintaining the grain quality for extended periods.

The technology is very affordable and is environmentally friendly

How the technology works

Six steps for setting up a Super Bag:

Step1: Make sure that the grains or seeds are properly dried: Dry grain to less than 14% and Dry seed to less than 12%

Stpe2: Place the super bag inside an existing type of storage bag (e.g., woven polypropylene or jute bags).

Step3: Fill the super bag with dried seeds or grains.

Step 4: Remove excess air. Close the opening by twisting the free plastic portion above the grain and fold it in two.

Step 5: Tie off the twist with a strong rubber band or adhesive tape

Step 6: Close the outer bag, taking care not to puncture the Super Bag.

This technology has been and is in used all over the world especially those continent where small scale famers is being practiced. The technology is supported multinational organizations such Food and Agricultural Organization - http://www.fao.org/food-loss-reduction/news/detail/en/c/288426/ , Oxfam  -  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27341889  and World Food programme-https://www.wfp.org/news/introduction-hermetic-storage-reduces-food-loss-yobe .

Other links for research conducted on use of my innovation can be found at  http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/postharvest/storage/grain-storage-systems/hermetic-storage-systems/irri-super-bag https://www.biotecharticles.com/Applications-Article/Hermetic-Storage-Safe-and-cheap-technique-for-grain-storage-3852.html

One video link for demo about the use of my proposed technology can be accessed on this links (i). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDdsUkQM4zA  (ii) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njs_RcEi1WA (iii)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xBzrP--iU4

Change area or theory #

Main level of change

Assumptions

Key actors

Status at start point

Change score at reflection

• Research and development partners contextualize approaches to meet needs of local men and women

Local community a

Promoted approaches are appropriate for smallholder farmers. Partners engage concertedly to achieve their set up and programme objectives and have flexibility to test alternative approaches

Local men and women;  implementers

partners mandates are to be  exercised to address local needs

2.5  emerging to established

5 Processors, traders and service providers respond to business opportunities created in the hub

Local community

Value chain agents are behaving competitively, are maximizing profit and there are no information asymmetries

Value chain actors; implementers

Low private investments; low volumes of transactions

2 emerging

Smallholder farmers access and experiment with gender-sensitive and relevant innovations including groups

Local community

Groups involved in collective of bulking and marketing of cereals are able to meet farmer needs

Farmers; implementers

improved  opportunities to experiment and innovate

3 established

Take engages and mobilizes stakeholders effectively

Locally

The small scale farmers has the right modality to drive the chain

Famers Secretariat and  others advisory committee

Actors initially

reached

2 emerging

Famer  members are aware of evolving opportunities for investment

Local, National, International

Famers effectively communicates emerging investment opportunities

Famer Secretariat

All actors  initially

2 emerging

Local government includes hub development and gender issues into their plans and budgets

Local government

Commercial grain and cereal production and gender issues are considered as a priority for food and nutrition insecurity and in improving household incomes

All stakeholders at local and National level

approach and gender is planned and budgeted

2 emerging

Early stages = 1; emerging changes = 2; established change = 3; (very) significant changes have taken place = 4.

The current number of people served   1,500 (214 households)  and in one year it will serve 3,200 (457 Households)  during the five years 117,000  people (16,714 households ) people will be served

Familiarizing the small scale farmer with the uses hermetic storage to improve food security, nutrition, generating supplementary income, and protecting the environment.

The plan to achieve the above this goal is;

Supporting activities to reduce post-harvest losses; The potential to sell stored grain at a higher price later in the year because quality and quantity are preserved;  The simplicity of transport and utilization of the bags; The ease of proper use after basic training;  The elimination of the need to use post-harvest pesticides that many believe to be dangerous; Almost no change to established practices: farmers have been using 90 kg storage bags of porous material, and the only change is the need to tie the bags securely and eliminate air; Their adaptability to other uses and for storing other crops, e.g., maize, rice; and  Price, which is within the reach of most farmers relative to their income and cash flow

Ensuring adequate production to keep up with accelerating demand will be the major challenge of scaling up PICS Bag.

To address this issue and facilitate scaling is provide a revolving credit of fund through climate insurance this support this type of sector.

This solution is not a part of the larger organization. Our organization shall implement  this solution in partnership with local government sectors such as Agriculture, production and natural recourse. Their role is  to supervised  and give technical advice a to farmers groups.

1. Echru Moses - Filed Office Livelihood and Agriculture ( full time)
2. Olal Samuel - Information's and Technology officer ( full Time)
3. Akurut Irene - Fiance and Administration (Full time)
4. Icwalo Annet- Volunteer
5. Akullo Immaculate - Volunteer
6. Amiro Peninah - Volunteer

Ismael Ocen is graduate with Masters in Environmental Studies, certificate in Food century by FAO, Certificate in Urban Food System by Wagenigen University of Research and Technilogy  he has 9 working experience in Food security, climate change and indigenous Knowledge and Climate resilience. Has implemented  projects funded by UNESCO, USAID and keen in leading  team that make results

My project is tested and are a result oriented, they have

1. Echru Moses - Bachelor Degree in Agriculture and  Certificate in M& E with 5 years experience working with farmer group under government setting
2. Olal Samuel - Bachelor  Degree in Information's and Technology  with 4 years in Soft ware developing and data management
3. Akurut Irene -  Bachelor degree in Fiance and Administration with professional accounting packages ( CPA stages 1,2,2,4), 5 years experience in using different account pages as donor demand.
4. Icwalo Annet- Diploma in Social works and social services
5. Akullo Immaculate - Diploma in Agriculture and animal production
6. Amiro Peninah - Diploma in Motoring and Evaluation

We are currently partnering with Soroti Distrct Local Government 

The product I will provide our famers is Hermetic Storage bags for storage of cereals and seeds. The actual monetary value to farmers of using PICS bags has been calculated: Farmers using the hermetic bags incurred weight losses of 3.9% after four months of storage, which is significantly lower than their control counterparts who incurred weight losses of 12.4%. The abated loss, or loss avoided through the bags, amount to 8.5% which is equivalent to a gain of 7.7kg of grain per 90kg bag per season. Given average maize value of Uganda Shillings 90,000/ 90per kg, this gain is valued at Uganda Shillings 30,000 (USD 7.7) per bag per season, assuming farmers store for four months only. The value sums add up to Uganda shillings 45,000(USD 10.7) per bag in 3 seasons, the minimum period the hermetic bags can be re-used if well taken care of. The cost of one bag Uganda shillings 5,000 is 1.4 USD and farmers can recoup the entire cost of using a bag in one season – just in terms of reduced post-harvest losses – assuming optimal harvest outcomes.

For a farming family of five that will use hermetic bags (assuming four 90kg bags of maize stored over 4.5 months, two seasons a year) translated to an additional 44 meal portions per season, or more than 8 meals for the entire family of five, because less was lost to insect damage and moisture loss. This will translate to improved income at household’s level.