For 44-year-old Carolyn Yeko, a mother of five and member of the Kapchesombe Green Change Farmers' Cooperative in Kapchorwa District, grain trading was once a race against time.
Carolyn buys and bulks maize, beans and green gram for resale. But every harvest season brought the same challenge: the longer she kept her grain, the greater the risk of losing it to weevils, rats, moisture and mould. To avoid further losses, she often had no choice but to sell early, even when prices were low.
“I used to lose up to 40 kilograms out of every 100-kilogram bag. My maize would change colour, develop a bad smell, and rats and weevils would finish what the losses had not already taken.”
The turning point came when Henry Ijara, a Village Based Agent (VBA) trained by Kilimo Trust under the RE-GAIN project, visited Carolyn's cooperative.
Through practical demonstrations, Henry trained cooperative members on improved post-harvest handling practices, including proper drying, cleaning, packaging and storage of grain, as well as the use of Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS).
The training gave Carolyn an opportunity to see how hermetic storage could protect her grain without relying on conventional chemical treatments.
She subsequently acquired 50 hermetic PICS bags and three tarpaulins for use in her grain business through her VBAs at reduced price compared to open markets.
F2: Carolyn bulking maize grain using PICS bags.
The change was significant. By using the PICS bags together with improved drying and handling practices, Carolyn has been able to keep her grain in good condition for longer, reducing her dependence on distress sales immediately after harvest.
“With the PICS bags, my grain stays fresh and pest-free. I can store it for six to twelve months without worrying that rats, weevils or rot will destroy it.”
The ability to preserve grain quality has also strengthened Carolyn's position when negotiating with buyers. Instead of selling quickly because she feared deterioration, she can hold her grain and wait for a better market opportunity.
According to Carolyn, buyers who have inspected the quality of her grain are now offering her UGX 1,500 per kilogram, compared with the UGX 700 per kilogram she previously accepted when she was under pressure to sell before her grain deteriorated.
“Because my grain quality has improved, buyers in my community are offering me 1,500 shillings per kilogram, compared to the 700 shillings per kilogram I used to accept because I feared pests, rotting and deterioration of the grain.”
For Carolyn, the value of the intervention goes beyond simply protecting grain. Good post-harvest practices have given her more control over when to sell, helped protect the quality of her produce, and created an opportunity to negotiate better prices.
Carolyn now encourages farmers and grain traders across Kapchorwa and Eastern Uganda to adopt improved post-harvest handling and storage solutions.
She credits Henry Ijara, Kilimo Trust and AGRA for bringing the RE-GAIN intervention to Kapchesombe Green Change Farmers' Cooperative and giving members practical knowledge and access to solutions that can help reduce food losses.
“KAITABON!” Carolyn's expression of appreciation for the opportunity to be part of the RE-GAIN project.
Carolyn's experience demonstrates the broader ambition of RE-GAIN: reducing post-harvest food losses while helping smallholder farmers and grain traders preserve the value of their produce, improve their bargaining position and earn more from what they produce and trade.