Kalro to train farmers on how to reduce post-harvest losses

The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation has opened a post-harvest training unit at Horticulture Research Institute in Kandara, Murang’a.

The unit will provide valuable training to farmers who post-harvest losses of up to 40 per cent. It has been established with the support of the World Bank through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project.

“Through this unit, farmers will be taught to mitigate post-harvest losses through better handling of their produce, preserving it and extending its shelf life,” said Charity Gathambiri, a post-harvest researcher at Horticulture Research Institute (HRI).

Speaking during Annual Mkulima Open Week at Kalro-HRI grounds, Gathambiri said several technologies have been devised to reduce the losses that mostly stem from poor handling of produce.

One of the key innovations, she said, is the zero-energy cooling unit made from bricks and sand and works through evaporation to maintain lower internal temperatures.

Gathambiri said the innovation is cost effective as it helps extend the shelf life of horticultural produce such as fruits and vegetables, giving farmers time to look for markets.

“To make the zero-energy cooling unit, you make double brick walls and place sand in the middle, then keep watering the sand,” she said.

“When the sand is watered and covered with a material that is a poor conductor of heat, evaporation occurs, which helps maintain a cooler internal temperature compared to the outside.”

She urged farmers to use the cooling and those who cannot afford to store harvested crops under tree shade and cover them with a wet sack.

“Many mango farmers, especially in Marsabit county, have successfully used locally available materials to establish the cooling units, reducing their post-harvest losses,” Gathambiri said.

Use of dryers to reduce the water content, she said, is also an effective solution that adds value to the produce, raising their prices.

Kalro has partnered with Turkish International Cooperation Agency to provide equipment for the post-harvest lab and training unit.

The equipment will play a vital role in value-addition to the produce as it will dry, process ripe fruits and vegetables. This, in turn, will enable the production of banana jam, tomato juice, plantain crisps and natural juices.

“Adding value to vegetables prolongs their shelf life and cushions a farmer from selling them at a loss. Embracing these technologies will make farming more profitable for farmers and sustainable,” she said.

HRI director Joseph Njuguna said perishability of horticultural produce is one the biggest challenges farmers are facing.

He said adopting preservation methods like zero-energy cooling and drying will help farmers cut losses significantly and boost income.