Assessing the factors responsible for post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage :

Abstract

Sorghum is an important staple crop in Uganda serving as a daily food requirement. Besides international aims for the reduction of post-harvest losses, some farmers in developing countries are still faced with significant losses. The losses resulting from post-harvest storage are among the key constraints to improving food and nutritional security in Africa including Uganda. Despite the importance of grain storage for food security, the factors responsible for post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage have not been well investigated to develop effective strategies and interventions for improving sorghum post-harvest storage practices. The overall objective of the study is to assess the factors responsible for post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage. The specific objectives of the study were to; (i) assess the factors responsible for post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage, (ii) identify modes of storage used by sorghum farmers, and state possible strategies that can reduce post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage. The study adopted a cross-sectional study with both quantitative and qualitative data collection approaches. Data was collected from 100 sorghum farmers in Lotome sub-county in Napak district. The modes of storing sorghum were storage bags, granaries, cribs, and silos. This was stored in the form of un-milled, polished, and dried. However, these storage modes are challenging. The factors responsible for post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage included fire outbreaks, insect and rodent infestation, theft, rotting and moulding, poor storage facility and bags, partial drying, mixing new and old, heavy rainfall, and harvesting immature crops. Lastly, several strategies that can be implemented to reduce the post-harvest losses on sorghum during storage. These are the provision of community security, provision of a modern storage facility, provision of good quality seeds, proper sun drying, harvesting mature crops, creating a ready market, training farmers, provision of pesticides and insecticides, extending extension services to farmers, and access to loans. The study recommends establishing capacity-building programmes for extension officers so that they can train sorghum farmers on better post-harvesting technologies.