ABSTRACT
Due to the favourable climatic conditions in Southern Africa, durable staple food products such as cereal grains and pulses can be attacked by pests all year round both in the field and during storage. Damages may be caused by insects, rodents, birds and – at higher moisture content – by microorganisms. Product drying, pest control, traditional storage structures and woven polypropylene bags are some of the technologies that are widely used. In this chapter, suggested storage structures discussed include hermetic silo bins, hermetic metal or plastic drums, hermetic triple-layer bags, vacuum bags or vacuum big bags. Hermetic storage is at present seen as the most promising technology that can be deployed to reduce postharvest losses, particularly for staple foods produced by smallholder farmers. If properly sealed, hermetic storage can lead to the depletion of oxygen and thus lead to pest control within few weeks without residues or damage to the stored products. A vacuum would be advantageous making the gas-tight seal visible and reducing survival times of insects locked into vacuum bags.
