NGPU January 28, 2024

Farmers receive rodent-repellent hermetic bags and tarpaulins to help avert post-harvest losses

Written by Mercy Kihugu

Nakuru County Government through Kenya Cereal Enhancement Program – Climate Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Plus (KCEP-CRAL) distributed rodent-repellent hermetic bags and tarpaulins in Njoro and Molo Sub-counties.

Over 3,100 farmers in the sub-counties received 10 hermetic bags and 6×4 meters of tarpaulin each which is a major milestone in averting the post-harvest losses farmers incur during storage of cereals.

This is also expected to reduce wastage occasioned during the storage of cereals and improve the income of farmers who opt to withhold their harvest to fetch better prices.

The use of hermetic bags is one of the technologies that has been thriving as a safe and affordable storage method, especially among smallholder farmers.

The bags are air-tight to prevent air or water from getting into stored cereals and can preserve the grains restricting the pests and rodents.

Mwireri and Mauka Farmers Cooperative Societies in Elburgon Ward and Mauche Ward respectively have in the recent past received training on the use of the solar bubble drier.

The bubble drier improves the traditional sun-drying process and eliminates all losses due to spillage, reducing post-harvest losses.

KCEP-CRAL aims to reduce rural poverty and food insecurity among smallholders by developing their economic potential while improving their natural resource management capacity and resilience to climate change in an increasingly fragile ecosystem.

This is achieved through the graduation of smallholder farmers to commercially oriented, climate-resilient agricultural practices through improvements in productivity, post-production management practices, and market linkages for targeted value chains