A man admires a 6-bag metal silo on display at the MATF stand during the 2007 Nairobi International Trade Fair.

In Kenya, and particularly Eastern Kenya, weevils have been singled out as the major causes of post harvest grain losses. Poor storage facilities including substandard storage and pesticides have aggravated the attack and losses.

Traditional cribs and gunny bags, the most common storage facilities can not guarantee protection against the larger grain borer that causes over 30 per cent of the losses, sometimes wiping out the entire harvests during severe infestations. They are not even effective against the common weevil that accounts for 10-20 per cent post harvest losses in the area.

However, a new technology is proving effective in protecting harvested grains from attack not only from these deadly weevils, but also from other insects and pests.

Metal silos are airtight, therefore minimizing oxygen and killing any weevils or pests that may be inside. It also completely locks out any insect or pest that may want to invade the grains inside.

Metal silos are not only guaranteeing full protection against the destructive pests, they are promising to be the ultimate weapon for improving food security for small-scale farmers in eastern Kenya.

Aware of its potential, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) initiated the Metal Silo Promotion Project in July 2005. The Project’s main objective is to reduce post harvest on-farm grain storage losses in Machakos, Kitui, Mwingi, Kirinyaga, Murang’a districts.

It is implemented by the Catholic Dioceses of Machakos, Murang’a and Kitui in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. It is co-funded by MATF (FARM-Africa) with funds from the Kilimo Trust, and CRS private funds.

For more information please contact the project coordinator Ruth Nguyo:
E-mail: rnguyo@crskenya.org

-------------Useful Information-------------

1. Keeping weevils at bay with metal silos( A featue story on the project impact published in the Appropriate Technology Journal Vol 35 No.3, 2008).
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