Page 10 - final REDFS Annual Newsletter

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Newsletter
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Newsletter N ewslett er
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1.3. Postharvest management
1.3. P ost har v est management
SAA was a forerunner in the introduction of small-scale postharvest processing machinery as
well as hermetic grain storage containers namely PICS (Purdue Improved Crop Storage) bags

and metal silos. SAA identified a multi-crop threshing machine developed by IITA in Nigeria that

could efficiently thresh cereals and pulses, and in 1997 facilitated Ethiopian technicians’ training
at IITA, allowing the machine to be manufactured locally.

Photo: Metal silo promotion at Meket Woreda ANRS
Furthermore, SAA was the first to demonstrate the PICS bags in collaboration with Purdue Uni-

versity, importing 100 bags from Nigeria and facilitating domestic manufacturing of the first

batch of 5000 bags in 2014, and widely promoted since then. As a result, farmers could get up to

36% higher maize prices than at harvest time, consume their grains at home for a longer period
of time, reduce input costs, and reduce potential health risks and environmental contamination

T oget her w e can mak e a diff er ence!
T oget her w e can mak e a diff er ence!
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