WFP launches joint campaign to curb post-harvest losses in Sudan
KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) jointly with the Government of Sudan and private sector manufacturers today launched a campaign to encourage farmers to use efficient food storage techniques to minimise post-harvest losses.
The campaign focuses on encouraging farmers to purchase hermitic or air-tight bags at a cost of US$2.50 – and explains the return on investment of more than US$25 over three years for every 100 kg of grain stored. WFP is supporting the private sector in making available for sale affordable hermetic bags.
The Hermetic Storage Campaign is an innovative initiative that supports the scale-up of WFP’s current resilience programme in Sudan. In 2019, WFP aims to provide 500,000 smallholder farmers in the eastern States of Kassala and Gedarif more efficient food storage techniques. The project is set to expand, reaching four million farmers by 2023.
“Through this campaign, WFP is positioning private sector partners at the forefront of the project, creating a unique logo and marketing material under the brand Hermetic Storage Technology (HST),” says WFP Representative and Country Director in Sudan Matthew Hollingworth. “This encourages farmers to engage with the product as consumers and see the value in investing in their own food security.”
The campaign will take to the roads aboard a ‘Big Truck’ carrying samples to promote the product. Other campaign tools include media engagement and community level meetings.
Farmers in Sudan suffer from high post-harvest losses during the storage phase, accounting for the loss of up to one-third of the food produced. Hermetic storage bags are a safe, cost-effective solution that will enable farmers to preserve more of their grain, all year round. In a country with high levels of food insecurity, any initiative that can help people save their food from wastage is invaluable to the community and the economy.
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