Brazilian firm eyes local market with new grain silo

Kenya: A Brazilian firm, Kepler Weber, has introduced a 6.2 tonne capacity silo into the Kenyan market suitable for rural farmers and small sized commercial farms.

According to Tegemeo Institute, an agricultural think tank based at Egerton University, it is estimated that post-harvest losses in Kenya is around 30 per cent of all stored grain produce. In many rural households, losses of 10 to 20 per cent of grain is reported in the first three months after storage, and this goes up to more than 50 per cent after six months.

Poor grain storage also leads to loss through pests such as larger grain borer, weevils and where dump condition persists, aflatoxin moulds. These can lead to 100 percent loss in grain. The new silo is made of corrugated iron sheets and is operated by solar power making it suitable in areas where no electricity connection is available.

Known as Kikapu silo it is manually loaded using It is also easily assembled during times of grain harvesting and storage.

Warm air

"It has ventilation for drying the crop. Warm air is sucked upwards using solar power and this lowers the moisture content of the grains from 15 percent to the recommended 13 percent the a short time," observed Antonio Carlos de Campos, the foreign trade manager with Kepler Weber. According to Mr Campos, the silo is suitable for farmers in Sub-Saharan countries such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya.

"Currently, the silo is priced at Ksh 382,000 and is fit for a group of farmers. Those with 5 hectares or more would need to purchase two silos for their grain," said Campos.

He said a group of NGOs had made orders for their groups across the country. During the 1997/98 El Niño rains, farmers in Ukambani and Mbeere region encountered huge grain harvests-unprecedented for over two generations. The Kikapu silo joins other recently introduced grain handling innovations into the country.