Post-Harvest Loss Reduction Program
Reducing crop losses through training on storage technologies, grading standards, and village-level grain handling protocols.
Programme photo
Programme Objectives
- Train farmer groups on hermetic storage techniques and appropriate technology use
- Establish community drying platforms and grading points at association warehouses
- Introduce aflatoxin screening protocols for groundnut and cereal storage
- Document and share loss reduction outcomes to support national programme scale-up
Post-harvest losses have historically eroded a significant portion of smallholder farmer income in Malawi, with estimates suggesting that between 20 and 40 percent of grain and legume production is lost or degraded between harvest and sale. The Post-Harvest Loss Reduction Program aimed to address this through a combination of infrastructure, training, and community-level quality management systems.
Hermetic storage bags and village-level storage structures were introduced in participating communities alongside practical training on proper grain moisture reduction, cleaning, and storage management. Farmer groups established quality committees responsible for overseeing community storage practices and coordinating collective sales from well-maintained stocks, incentivising individual households to maintain quality standards.
Aflatoxin contamination of groundnut lots was a particular focus in central region districts, where the fungal toxin poses serious risks to both farmer income and consumer health. The programme introduced field-level visual screening protocols and supported access to laboratory testing for export-destined lots, with contaminated lots redirected away from export channels and treated or disposed of safely.
End-of-programme evaluation found that participating households reported an average 40% reduction in quantitative post-harvest losses, with quality deterioration losses falling even more sharply among groups that adopted the full suite of recommended practices. The programme has been cited in national agricultural strategy documents as a model for community-level post-harvest management at scale.
Programme Partners