Effectiveness and economics of hermetic bags for maize storage: Results of a randomized controlled trial in Kenya |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Food Science and Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya;2. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya;3. Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya;4. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, P.O. Box 320, Bamako, Mali;1. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India;2. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA;1. National Institute for Agricultural Research in Niger (INRAN), Maradi, Niger;2. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kano, Nigeria;3. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Cotonou, Benin;4. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;5. International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;1. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;2. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;1. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru 502324, Andhra Pradesh, India;2. Dept. of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2089, USA |
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| Abstract: | Maize is an important seasonal crop and year-round food staple in Africa. On-farm storage is therefore needed, but it suffers from storage pests. To study the effectiveness and economics of a new storage method, hermetic bags, a randomized controlled trial was organized in Kenya with 300 farmers in the treatment group using hermetic bags and 300 in the control group using conventional farmer practices. A subsample of 224 farmers was visited three times during the 2012–2013 major storage season: at baseline and after two and four months. Grain samples were taken and insect infestation, damage and weight loss observed. Results show that hermetic bags were highly effective in controlling storage insect pests: after four months, grain damage was 14% in the control and only 4% in the treatment; weight loss due to insect pests was 1.7% among control farmers, but only 0.4% in the treatment group. Economic analysis shows that hermetic bags become potentially profitable, under basic price and loss assumptions, if farmers use hermetic bags for storage for at least four months per season, and if the bags last for at least four seasons. |
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| Keywords: | Hermetic bags Maize storage Effectiveness Rate of return Partial budgeting |
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