By Isaiah Esipisu
EMBU, Kenya (AlertNet) – The most important post-harvest pest in Kenya’s dryland areas is the larger grain borer, locally known as ‘Osama’ in testament to its aggressive destructiveness.
Farmers say it flourishes in high temperatures – a particular problem as climate change brings warming conditions in many parts of the country.
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| Benjamin Njue Ngari a tinsmith at Kiritiri market in Embu explains how to use a metal silo ideal for storing two 90 kg bags of grains |
But smallholder farmers in Eastern Kenya and other parts of the country have found a way to combat the pest: metal storage silos that help protect grain from both insects and fungal infections.
At Kiritiri market in Embu County, in semi-arid Eastern Kenya, Benjamin Njue Ngari, a local tinsmith, and his assistants are now busy moulding galvanized metal sheets into airtight cylinders to meet surging demand.
“It has two openings, one on top for filling, and the other one at the bottom for emptying,” explains Ngari. “We make them in different sizes to store between one and 20, 90kg bags of grain.”
