Working to decrease wheat loss by 20-25%: a step towards wheat self-sufficiency
21 August 2016, Cairo.FAO/Egypt Project on “Capacity Building for Food Loss Reduction in the Near East” held a “Value Chain training workshop on Post-harvest wheat losses in Egypt” with its beneficiaries working on wheat production during the period from 15-18 August 2016 at the Agricultural Research Center premises. Twenty four participants from all governorates in Egypt in the field of extension, plant protection, plant diseases, and wheat researcher took part in this training workshop and were given the responsibility to further train colleagues and co-workers so as to extend benefits from the knowledge gained during the workshop.
The purpose of the workshop is to train participants on ways to decrease the loss of wheat during the various stages of the wheat production value chain: harvesting, milling, transportation, storage, and trading.
Dr. Assad Hamada, Head of Wheat Research Department at the Field Crops Research Institute under the umbrella of the Agricultural Research Center said “we aim to decrease wheat loss by 20-25% and by this ensure saving 2.5 million tons of wheat every year.” Dr. Hamada explained that “achieving such a decrease is one step towards self-sufficiency.”
In his opening words, Dr. Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Egypt said “Wheat loss takes place throughout the value chain of wheat production, also food waste is the result of bad consumption habits by consumers..” Dr. Gadain added “this project aims at curbing food loss, which leads to decreasing rural poverty, increasing food security, improving health safety, protecting the environment, and improving sound wheat value chain management; and by that contributes to increasing the marketing possibilities and eventually improving income of farmers and all those working on post-harvesting and distribution of wheat.”
Dr. Mosaad Mohamed Abdel Aleem, Head of Research at the Wheat Research Department of the Agricultural Research Center briefly explained how to control wheat loss during the different stages of the wheat value chain. During harvesting, the right time in terms of season and timing of the day will be set so as to make sure that wheat grains are properly dry and by this ensure high quality of grains and avoid waste. During milling, it is recommended to get the milling machine to the field so as to avoid losses during the transportation of wheat bundles from the field to the milling premises.
As for the wheat packaging and storage stage, it is important to fill in the wheat grains over blankets so as to be able to re-gather spilled over grains into the packages which should be made of sackcloth to allow proper aeration and preserve the quality of grains. Storage of the packaged wheat grains, should first of all be in warehouses that are appropriately maintained; i.e, cleaned, ventilated, sprayed with pesticides against rodents and insects. Then wheat packages should be in a perfect condition (not torn and clean) placed on shelves above floor level and with space between the wheat stacks also to preserve wheat grains from getting fouled. Hence, samples of grains are continuously taken to check their status.
The last stage of the wheat production value chain is that of transporting the wheat packages to wholesalers and retailers. Transportation should be in covered trucks that are strongly sealed so as to ensure no wheat packages get torn or fall off the truck.
Dr. Abdel Aleem said that “Wheat is one of the most important crops for mankind… in 2015-2016, 9.7 million tons of wheat were produced whereas local consumption needs reached to 14 million tons.” Hence, comes the importance of controlling wheat losses so as to contribute to more wheat quantities for consumption and self suffieciency.
21/08/2016