Dublin Core
Title
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE MAIZE WAREHOUSING STRATEGIES ADOPTED IN ZIMBABWE, USA, BANGLADESH, ETHIOPIA, AND NIGERIA TO REDUCE MAIZE POST- HARVEST STORAGE LOSSES
Creator
DR EDDINE EDSON MUDYAZHEZHA
PROF ROBERT MUSUNDIRE
DR MICHAEL MUSANZIKWA
Description
The focus of this paper was to examine the warehousing strategies adopted in Zimbabwe to
reduce maize post-harvest storage losses and compare them to those adopted by the United
States of America (USA), Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. The aim was to draw valuable
lessons for Zimbabwe to reduce maize post-harvest storage losses and ensure food security.
Despite many schemes which have resulted in significant increase in maize productivity, the
problem of food shortages especially for maize has persisted continually in Zimbabwe. Primary
data was collected from 36 Grain Marketing Board of Zimbabwe (GMB) managers,
Supervisors, and employees in all its ‘Class 1’ depots, Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Lands,
Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) and agricultural experts
through in-depth interviews. Quota, purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to
select the study participants. The study revealed that there was a huge difference in the maize
warehousing strategies used in the USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ethiopia and the strategies
used in Zimbabwe in terms the responsibility for grain storage, grain storage methods, in-
storage grain monitoring, grain post-harvest services, post-harvest grain storage training. The
study concluded that Zimbabwe really needs to invest in maize warehousing in order to reduce
post-harvest storage losses. The study recommended the participation of the private sector in
maize storage in Zimbabwe, investment in hermetic storage, provision of maize drying services
at all Grain Marketing Board depots, training of all maize handlers in Zimbabwe on effective
maize storage practices and the establishment of post-harvest retail shops in all the 10 provinces
in Zimbabwe
reduce maize post-harvest storage losses and compare them to those adopted by the United
States of America (USA), Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. The aim was to draw valuable
lessons for Zimbabwe to reduce maize post-harvest storage losses and ensure food security.
Despite many schemes which have resulted in significant increase in maize productivity, the
problem of food shortages especially for maize has persisted continually in Zimbabwe. Primary
data was collected from 36 Grain Marketing Board of Zimbabwe (GMB) managers,
Supervisors, and employees in all its ‘Class 1’ depots, Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Lands,
Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) and agricultural experts
through in-depth interviews. Quota, purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to
select the study participants. The study revealed that there was a huge difference in the maize
warehousing strategies used in the USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ethiopia and the strategies
used in Zimbabwe in terms the responsibility for grain storage, grain storage methods, in-
storage grain monitoring, grain post-harvest services, post-harvest grain storage training. The
study concluded that Zimbabwe really needs to invest in maize warehousing in order to reduce
post-harvest storage losses. The study recommended the participation of the private sector in
maize storage in Zimbabwe, investment in hermetic storage, provision of maize drying services
at all Grain Marketing Board depots, training of all maize handlers in Zimbabwe on effective
maize storage practices and the establishment of post-harvest retail shops in all the 10 provinces
in Zimbabwe
Publisher
Zimbabwe Journal of Business, Economics and Management
Date
2023
Position: 24 (54 views)