15 new stores to stem aflatoxin grain attack

The government has begun constructing 15 storage facilities in aflatoxin-prone areas to boost grain handling before and after harvesting.

The facilities will be built in 14 counties on a pilot basis while more will be built in 45 counties later.

The vice-chairman of the Parliamentary committee on agriculture Kareke Mbiuki said the government had already supplied driers at strategic points to help farmers dry their maize. He urged farmers in Upper Eastern, which is prone to aflatoxin attacks, to properly store their grains after harvest.

Mr Mbiuki was speaking at the old Mitheru market in Maara constituency where he laid the foundation stone for the a Sh47million community grain drying and storage facility. He said most of the produce in the area goes to waste due to poor post-harvest handling.

The project will include installation of a grain drier and storage facility, which can store 10,000 bags.

The contractor Darol contractors said the facility would be ready in October.

Mbiuki said grains make more than 80 per cent of Tharaka-Nithi County’s agricultural produce, but farmers face major challenges, especially in preservation and marketing.

Mr Mbiuki said the storage facility at Mitheru is one of the 15 being constructed countrywide on a pilot basis.

“This project was mooted when a bumper harvest was realised as a result of heavy rains but was lost due to aflatoxin. It will promote grain drying and storage and improve food security,” he said.