Title
Grain handling and storage in lubero and rutshuru territories in the North Kivu Province, the democratic Republic of Congo
Date Issued
01 September 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Baributsa D.
Mughanda D.
Lubanzadio A.
Nshombo J.P.C.
Sperling L.
Baoua I.B.
Purdue University
Publisher(s)
MDPI
Abstract
Postharvest management of grain and seed is a challenge among smallholder farmers. Limited information is available on how smallholder farmers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who have been exposed to multiple conflicts, manage grain and seed after harvest. We interviewed 690 smallholder farmers in Lubero (Baswagha chiefdom) and Rutshuru (Bwisha and Bwito chiefdoms) territories of the North Kivu province of the DRC to assess how they dried and stored their crops. Results reveal that 95% and 80% farmers produced beans and maize, respectively. About half of respondents in Bwisha grew soybean, suggesting production diversification using conflict-resistant crops to minimize thefts and looting. Rotting and theft were the major challenges during field drying, while insects (81.3%) were the most important issue during storage. Sixty-six percent of farmers did not protect their grain during storage, exposing it to insect damage. Farmers producing beans in both Bwisha and Bwito, farmers storing beans and maize, and those storing for more than three months were more likely to protect their grains during storage. More than 70% of farmers saved seed for planting the next season but suffered significant weight losses of up to 50% due to insects. Storing grain in hermetic bags for six months had an estimated return on investments of up to 63% for maize in Baswagha and 54% for beans in Bwisha. Improved drying and storage technologies would help smallholder farmers to reduce their grain postharvest losses due to mold, theft, and insects. Smallholder farmers using these improved postharvest technologies have the opportunity to secure quality grain for home consumption and sale, and seed for planting.
Volume
13
Issue
17
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias de las plantas, Botánica
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85113921982
Source
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Sponsor(s)
Funding text This study was part of a postharvest project funded and implemented by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The project was implemented in only 544 villages in three chiefdoms in the North Kivu province (218 villages in Baswagha, 190 villages in Bwisha, and 136 villages in Bwito), given the prevailing insecurity and limited accessibility. We randomly selected 91 villages (36 in Baswagha, 32 in Bwisha, and 23 in Bwito) for this survey, based on the proportion of the 544 villages assigned to each of the three chiefdoms. In each village, we randomly selected eight farmers out of a list of 15 HHs established by the extension agent in collaboration with the head of the village. The 15 HHs were not randomly selected due to security concerns of enumerators and respondents. The names of farmers from the 15 HHs were placed in a small basket once they arrived at the meeting, and the first eight farmers selected were interviewed. We originally aimed to interview 728 farmers but reached 690 respondents (about a 95% response rate). Insecurity in some villages led to a low turnout.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus