Maize storage bag manufacturers are helping farmers avoid half of after-harvest losses using revolutionary rodent-repelling bags that keep off the two main thieves of stored grains; insects, and rats.
In Kenya’s main maize-growing regions, rodents were second to small insects as the main causes of farmer losses after harvest. The country loses an estimated half a million tonnes of the 3.6 million tonnes of maize it produces each year. Of the maize lost to pests during storage, half of it was eaten by insects such as weevils and larger grain borers, and 43 per cent of it was stolen by rodents, especially rats. While three-fifths of farmers report using airtight bags to keep insects from eating their grains, these bags fall short of protecting them from the second biggest grain thieves– rodents.
“Most grain storage bags are water-resistant and airtight and this ensures no insects can survive inside them. While these hermetic bags have been really helpful for farmers we realised they were solving half of the problem. While the grains were safe from insects they were still being eaten by rodents, especially rats,“ said Sylvia Moses of Packaging Industries Limited (PIL), the makers of the rodent-repelling bag.
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The Mavuno Bora bag looks like any other hermetic bag but it has an organic component on its outer part that repels rats by emitting a really bad odour that humans cannot smell. The bag also has a bitter taste that does not poison or affect the taste of grains for humans.
Dubbed the NeXgeN Innovative Mavuno Bora Hermetic Bag, Sylvia added that the bag does not kill the rats it just has an organic component that repels the rat with its odour.
Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa are classified as rodent-grain-loss hotspots. In these counties, rats, not insects were the leading causes of losses for farmers when storing grains accounting for losses of up to 63 per cent.
When farmers stored their grains off-farm– in government depots, for example– this loss went down to just 11 per cent. This is because most rural homes do not have storage that is rat-proof nor have proper storage hygiene.
The rodents bite farmers twice because they eat grains and stored maize cobs as well. They also not only directly cause the grains to lose weight, but their quality as well. This is because when they have a lot of maize to eat they will typically just eat the maize germ which is the most nutritious part of the grain.
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Rats also contaminate stored grains by leaving their droppings which can transmit, meanwhile, their urine encourages fungi causing aflatoxins to develop.
Currently, the Mavuno Bora rodent-repelling grain storage bags can be bought from Packaging Industries Limited in Industrial Area or agrovet shops across Kenya for between Sh350-450.
Packaging Industries Limited: 0722 20696
Photo Courtesy: Packaging Industries Limited