Assessing the major causes of post-harvest losses in maize during storage and its effect on the farmer :

Abstract

This Special Report was compiled after conducting a Research Study among maize farmers at Adekokwok sub-county Lira City and Lira District on the “Causes of post-harvest loss in maize during storage phase and how it affects farmers & quot. The Research report was compelled by Ongom Bonny after conducting a research study in accessing the major causes of post-harvest loss in maize during storage and its effects on the farmer. The objective of the research was to determine the quantity of maize loss under each agent during storage phase of maize, to estimate the loss during storage phase in monitory form and also to find out what farmers has done to overcome the loss and to determine the impact of solution toward the loss during storage phase of post-harvest The information in this report was collected first hand (first hand data) using questionnaire, interview and observation methods where 40 farmers carrying out maize production at the sub- county was picked at random from various villages within the sub-county. During the study, it was found that insect was the major cause of post-harvest loss in maize during storage, it also found out that quantity of maize loss during storage phase alone is 1,672 kegs, it also found that the loss caused by different agent of post-harvest loss during storage alone amounts to UGX 1,266,540., the study also found that farmer are trying several measures to reduce the loss caused during storage with the best results rated 92% i.e. using insecticide to kill insects. In conclusion, the main cause of post-harvest losses in the farmer’s stored maize was found to be insects among others like; spillage, molds, rodents and etc. this was because farmers do not have good quality storage facilities, and majority are lowly educated which has resulted in to famine and eating low value food stuff that affects their health and nutrition. After entering all the data collected and analyzing it, I recommended farmers to use insecticide to control insect, dry their maize well before storing, have rodent prove store, concern authorities should invest in educating farmers about post-harvest loss and there should be need in improving packaging materials to avoid spillage. Lastly I would recommend further research in; the major cause of post-harvest loss during other phases of post-harvest, how management practice affects maize productivity and how temperature and humpty causes post-harvest loss in stored grains.