Assessment of Crop Storage Structures in Swaziland

ABSTRACT

A survey was carried out to identify the types of crops popularly stored, the structures commonly

used and problems experienced with produce storage in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

Respondents included operators of government storage facilities, non-governmental

organizations providing food relief, millers, large-scale farms, homesteads and artisans who

fabricate metal tanks.

Maize, the national staple food, was stored by all homesteads essentially for family consumption.

It was the commercial staple crop, the major raw material for the millers and the produce

commonly distributed as food aid by the non-governmental organizations. Significant quantities

of groundnut, beans, sweetpotatoes, jugobeans and cowpeas were also stored.

The crop storage structures found in use were metal silos, bags, platforms, cribs, metal tanks,

concrete tanks, warehouses/rooms/old houses, metal/plastic drums, earthen/metal pots,

plastic/metal buckets, bottles and tins. Metal silos and warehouses were the predominant

structures used for large scale storage. The most common storage structure for maize by smallscale

farmers was the metal tank as reported by 78.8% of respondents followed by cribs for both

drying and storage (76.3%) and bags for the storage of maize, beans and groundnuts (65.7%)

Moisture penetration and condensation, moulding, caking, insect infestation and rusting were

some of the problems experienced with metal silos and tanks. In addition to these, the cracking

of the solder used at the joints was a common problem with metal tanks. Bags often got tom by

rodents that infested the produce. The absence of rodent guards in platforms and cribs

encouraged rodent attack on produce stored in these structures. The use of inadequate -sized

members and overloading often resulted in buckling and collapse of cribs and platforms. Losses

of produce through these sources are a major problem.

Remedial measures adopted towards solving these problems included the use of weevil and

other types of tablets for produce storage, replacement of rusted and broken parts. The use of

rodent glue and cats were also employed as control measures.