Accra 10-12, April,2012

Insect Problems of Stored Agricultural and Food Products in Niger: Possible New Uses for PICS bags

I.B. Baoua, L. Amadou, L.L. Murdock

What should be done to save others products and the health of consumers?

Targets:• Producers• Traders• Processors• Consumers

• Four(4) régions were concerned (8 local governments and 21 villages)

• 150 questionners from each region• Samples of all agricultural and processed

products were collected• Samples analysis• Insects are being identified

Methodology

Key questions asked

• Types of stored products?• The quantities of stored products?• The insects destroying the products?• The level of damage?• The methods of storage?

Doss

o

Tahoua

Maradi Zinder

Diffa

Agadez

Tillabéri

Survey and samples collection in December 2011

Respondant and collected samplesTotal % of women % of men Samples748 11.8 88.2 394

Survey and samples collection

Samples analysis at laboratory

Agricultural products Minimum % of damage

Maximum % of damage

Sorghum 0 75Hibiscus seed 0 48Millet 0 42Tiger nut (Cyperus Esculentus) 3 24Groundnut 0 20Maize 0 17Paddy rice 0 16Voandzou 0 5Sesame 0 1

Rate of damaged grains in collected samples

Storage methods used by the target

Products PICS bags Pesticide Nothing OthersVoandzou 0.3 0.8 98.5 0.4Sorghum 0.2 10.6 88.4 0.8Millet 0.2 32.10 64.0 3.7Hibiscus grains 0 6.02 89.8 4.0Groundnut 0.1 14.3 85.4 0.2

Insects found in the samples

Maize: • Tribolium spp• Sitophilus spp

Voandzou (Vigna subterranea) • Tribolium spp • Bruchid

Sorghum:

• Tribolium spp; • Sitophilus spp • Oryzaephilus surinamensis, • Cryptolestes spp, • Sitotroga cerealella Oliver• others non identified

Paddy rice:

• Tribolium spp• others

Hibiscus grains: (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Acanthoscelidae

Groundnut: • Tribolium spp• Corcyra cephalonica

1. Does PICS bagging stop the insect problem?

2. Is grain moisture and molds a problem?

3. Will PICS stored seeds germinate ?

4. Are processing, cooking time, etc. affected?

5. Would PICS intervention be economical?

With each new crop or product:

THANK YOU