Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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plump, with color characteristic of that variety. If harvested prematurely, the kernels shrink
upon drying, resulting in decreased shelling percentage, poor seed quality and lower oil content.
If harvested late, non-dormant varieties will sprout in the field, resulting in yield losses (N’tare
et al. 2008).
Of the global land area cultivating groundnut, nearly half (46%) is in Africa, where it is grown
mostly by smallholders with little access to agricultural resources and technologies. According
to recent studies, as a result of these limitations Africa only accounts for 28% of global
production of groundnut (Spieldoch 2015). Major causes of on-farm losses include:
 Poor quality seeds and planting materials.
 Poor cultivation practices, inputs, pest management and a lack of mechanization.
 Poor moisture content management during and after harvesting, which increases the
risk of aflatoxin contamination (immediate drying to less than 8% reduces this risk).
3.4.4. Measures and Strategies Implemented for On-Farm Loss Reduction in Benin
Peanuts are a very important crop in Benin especially as a source for oils and for the production
of groundnut sticks (kuli-kuli) which are a very common snack for people, some groups like
schoolchildren, university students, motorcycle taxi-drivers and apprentices consume then
nearly daily. Groundnut sticks are high energy foods that can be eaten without preparation. But
the industry is still disorganized. Oil production from the Oils Corporation of Benin (SHB) and
FLUDOR Company is not sufficient to meet the needs of domestic consumption. At the level of
small transformers, production is precarious with rudimentary techniques. Quality of
groundnuts and especially contamination with aflatoxin is a problem.
The integrated approach for groundnuts (ICRISAT, 2013) provides information on best practices
(Osiru & Waliyar, 2013). There are also a lot of problems during the storage of peanuts due to
lack of infrastructure and adequate storage technology to control post-harvest pests of
groundnut. Postharvest losses are enormous and can attain up to 25-30% of the production.
There is need that the state and producer organization puts more effort in supporting this value
chain which has not received any government support since the last 40 years in Benin, so that
its potential role in the development of the national economy can be fully exploited. Producers
have rarely access to credit for groundnut in Benin, even if these are made available to them the
would find it difficult to repay such credits since the interest rates are generally very high
3.4.5. Lessons Learned from the Case Study
Drying grains, oilseeds and pulses involves exposing the seeds to ambient air with low relative
humidity in order to evaporate the moisture from the grain or pulse. This process is crucial to
the success of the drying operation and reducing losses from this operation will depend mainly
on how efficiently this process is carried out. A common practice in some countries of the region
is to spread the crops in the open air for drying for number of days until the product is dried to
acceptable levels. This process lacks any control over the time required; the relative humidity
of the ambient air; the sanitary status of the drying grounds; and hence more contamination and