IDRC, AGRA Launch $2.155million Project to Curb Post Crop Harvest Loss

The International Development Research Centre, IDRC, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, have rolled out and implemented the CAD 2.889 million (USD 2.155 million) project to curb post crop harvest loss.

This project will support applied research to bring effective, field-tested innovations for reducing post-harvest loss of soybeans and cowpeas to thousands of smallholder farmers in Mozambique and Burkina Faso.

It was gathered that about 30 percent of the grains produced in the continent are lost due to inadequate post-harvest management, lack of structured markets, inadequate storage, and limited processing capacity.

With more than 70 per cent of Africans drawing their livelihoods from agriculture, finding sustainable solutions to this problem holds tremendous promise for enhancing inclusive economic growth, food security, and nutrition.

Over the last decade, many actors have developed a set of innovative technologies to reduce post-harvest agricultural loss across the value chain –from the farm to the consumer. A 36-month project to scale up the use of these technologies across Sub-Saharan Africa was launched last week in Nairobi.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA said that the moment has come to roll out these technologies across the continent to ensure that smallholder farmers reap maximum benefit from their investment and hard labour.

“Scaling up of simple technologies like hermetic storage bags can reduce post-harvest losses by up to 50 per cent and significantly increase farmers’ income.”

He added: “The deployment of mechanised threshers will also reduce the drudgery of farming, which is especially important among women who are the majority of farmers in Africa.”

With Burkina Faso and Mozambique as pilot countries, the project will help drive these known solutions to scale and could benefit millions of farmers.