The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Ethiopia has announced that over 1,746 metal silos out of the expected 2,500 have been produced and distributed to farmers over the last six months to reduce post-harvest loss.

FAO Ethiopia Representative Hassen Ali said 75 youth, organized under small and medium enterprises, received training on the production of metal silos in cooperation with the Melkassa Agricultural Research Center.

"We have conducted awareness creation and training sessions among farmers to convince them that the distribution of the metal silos is important as a means of reducing post-harvest crop loss. Extension workers are already on board," the FAO Representative said.

Metal silos allow grains to be kept for a long period and prevent from pests such as rodents, insects and birds, and are vital post-harvest technologies as they fight against hunger and food insecurity.

"Since the metal silo with a certified quality specification is made by trained youth locally, it is affordable, accessible and easily manageable," Hassan said._

FAO has provided awareness creation and capacity building training on post-harvest loss reduction for 7,746 household farmers in 14 selected woredas of Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and SNNP States.

"As the project is in progress, we have not done a final assessment, but as an ongoing program, we have contacted the farmers and woredas that are using metal silos and all confirmed that they are happy with the product," he said.

The representative said the trained youth artisans are benefiting from the created job opportunity of producing the metal silos.

Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Public Relations Head Alemayehu Berhanu for his part said: "Through a comprehensive collaboration of state and zonal offices, the Ministry is engaged in raising farmers awareness on the best possible ways of reducing post-harvest loss."

The metal silos and hermetic bags introduced to curb the predicament of post-harvest loss is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research.

The project, which would phase out in 2017, is funded by the government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The flat bottom metal silo fabricated of galvanized and corrugated sheet costs 3,716 Birr and lasts from 10 to 15 years.

Over the last ten years, FAO Ethiopia has implemented over 100 projects estimated at over 55 million USD.

Source - http://allafrica.com