THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF SMALL-HOLDER USE OF HERMETIC STORAGE FOR WHEAT IN AFGHANISTAN

Shershah Ameri, Amanda J. Deering and Kevin T. McNamara

International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), 2018, vol. 06, issue 3

Abstract: Farmers in Afghanistan are able to produce quality grain, however, are unable to store the grain to maintain quality and seed viability. This greatly contributes to high rates of poverty and food insecurity. The Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags are a means of low-cost hermetic storage that provides efficient, airtight grain storage for small size farmers that can reduce the loss of crops during storage and provide more food to people. The expected profitability of PICS bags compared to current storage used by farmers was determined before a specific distribution strategy for PICS bags in Afghanistan is implemented. Wheat samples from Balkh, Herat, and Nangarhar provinces were stored in either PICS bags or local woven polypropylene (PP) bags and sampled following 3 and 6 months of storage. The samples were examined for insect damage and percent germination following storage to determine the economic return from each type of storage system. The value of reduced storage loss with use of the PICS bags is greater than the cost of th refore, the economic return on PICS bags is higher than that of PP bags. This indicates the use of PICS bags is better than current storage practices. The PICS bag storage technology appears to be a viable option for grain storage in Afghanistan to prevent grain damage and to maintain seed quality and viability for wheat.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural Finance; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ijfaec:283867

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.283867

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