Private sector Post Harvest Management among smallholder farmers

Private sector & Post Harvest Management among smallholder farmers “The experience of PICS bag project” Jean Njiru Supply Chain Network Manager East and Southern Africa PICS 3 Project

“It does little good to teach farmers how to use a technology if they cannot find it in local markets”

Supply Chain Development Purdue Improved Crop Storage (Pics Bags)

Background • Purdue University is implementing PICS 3 project – Commercialization of Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags for grain storage • Five year project • Funded by Bell and Melinda Gates Foundation – Overall project objective is to reduce grain storage losses by increasing the use of hermetic technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa • Covers seven countries in West Africa, East and Southern Africa – Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi

PICS 3 Project Activities • Market development activities – Awareness building through village demonstrations – Awareness building through media • Radio and TV, posters, video &documentaries • Supply chain development activities – Manufacturing and distribution of the PICS bags

Approach for village demonstrations • Partners e. g. CRS, Clusa, IITA etc • Training of Trainers – Extension Agents • Training of farmers – Pre-awareness meeting – Demonstration – Follow up – Open the bag ceremony

What are PICS bags? Cowpea storage in triple layer plastic bags was developed by a team of Purdue and Cameroonian researchers in the late 1990 s

Growing interest in hermetic methods PICS Bags Super. Grainba g Metal silo 5 MT Cocoon

Benefits of PICS 1) Income – Sell later when prices are higher 2) Health from chemical-free storage 3) Food for home consumption – Food security 4) Seed

PICS efforts in Africa Purdue Improved Crop Storage. PICS 2 2011 -2014 Private Sector Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage 2007 - 2012 - Manufacturers Ag input dealers IARCIntl. & local NGO NARS & Extension FBOs, Women’s group and Farmers

Availability & access of PICS bags by smallholder farmers The role of the private sector Manufacturers, distributors, agrodealers, Media –radio, TV, ICT-sms etc

Supply Chain Manufacturer/supplier Distributors Semi-wholesalers Vendors Farmers

Sustaining Availability of Crop Storage Technology Manufacturers Distributors Semi-wholesalers Vendors Farmers Supply bags- Supply chain Semi-wholesalers Vendors Farmers Organisations Volume buyers Vendors Purdue University Grain traders Create demand- Awareness Building

Manufacturers of PICS Bags East and Southern Africa West Africa • Tanzania • Nigeria – PPTL in Tanga • Uganda – Luuka Plastics in Kampala • Malawi – Polypack in Blantyre • Ethiopia • SEPCO and EFGAM in AA • Others – Kenya – Bell Industries Ltd – Rwanda - Ecoplastics – Lela Agro in Kano • Burkina Faso • Supplied by Lela Agro • Ghana – Polytank in Accra

PICS Bag Supply Chain Developed from Project to Private Sector Ø Reached 37000 villages+++ Ø Over 200, 000 households tested bag Ø 2 million farmers trained in WCA Ø 4. 6 million bags sold since 2007 15

Key constraints to adoption of triple layer bags

Lessons learned • Adoption of technology: Areas with effective supply chain developed by the private sector have the highest adoption rates. • Awareness building (market development): The private sector will produce and sell the bags if there is demand. • Local manufacturing: Reduces costs and gets political support. • Pilot programs: Enables PICS to learn and adjust our strategy to best engage farmers, partners, and the private sector to increase adoption. • Local partnerships are critical to PICS success: o National Ag Research and Extension builds trust and confidence with smallholder farmers o Local media is critical for communication with smallholder farmers

Supply chain development by the private sector is key to sustained adoption of crop storage technologies.

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