Most “food wastage” in Cape Verde, an island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, occurs in postharvest stages, especially processing and packaging. The country lacks adequate postharvest facilities to support market needs. http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2013/09/18/food-wastage-in-cape-verde-happens-after-harvesting/
Archive | Direct causes of loss
RSS feed for this sectionTwo More Mills Found To Be Involved in Paddy Embezzlement
A corruption case in Punjab, India that was opened in July against two rice millers now includes two more. State officials say that millers have allegedly embezzled paddy worth over $1.1 million. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Bathinda/Two-more-mills-found-to-be-involved-in-pady-embezzlement/SP-Article1-1116938.aspx
17,000 Tonnes of Grain Wasted in 3 Years
A Times of India report states that at least 17,546 tonnes of foodgrains were damaged between 2009-10 and July 2012 in Food Corporation of India godowns. The total food loss of foodgrains, fruits, and vegetables equates to nearly $7 billion per year, estimated to be able to feed 70 million Indians. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-26/news/41455227_1_storage-capacity-foodgrain-tonnes
Focus On: Building Infrastructure in Africa
This Farming First blog post highlights the urgent need to improve infrastructure in Africa, where less than 50% of the rural population live close to adequate roads. Authors point to better infrastructure as a key means to reducing postharvest losses. http://www.farmingfirst.org/2013/08/focus-on-building-infrastructure-in-africa/
India Prepares to Guarantee Right to Food for 800 Million People
The National Food Security Act is heavily criticized by policymakers and academics who disagree with the decision to expand a grain program already riddled with fraud and waste. In India, it is widely known that about 40% of grain in the supply chain doesn’t reach its intended end, instead rotting in storage, eaten by rodents, […]
TNAU Scientists Inspect FCI Godown in Coimbatore
Scientists from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University responded to pest problems at a Food Corporation of India site in Peelamedu. While not cause of direct harm to human beings, the pests feed and multiply on stored grains and cause damage to harvests. The scientists recommended storage methods to keep the insect population from increasing. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/tnau-scientists-inspect-fci-godown-in-coimbatore/article5002854.ece
Harnessing Postharvest Handling Gains
A trade specialist says the lack of observation of modern postharvest handling practices in Uganda is a serious challenge for the grain industry, which must ensure quality to remain competitive. Experts call for an enforceable grain policy to mitigate the physical and revenue losses incurred by poor practices such as ground drying and improper pest […]
Tonnes of Maize Rotting in Northern Region
Improved farming methods in Ghana have led to an increase in productivity of maize, which should be cause for celebration. Instead farmers and warehouse operators are witnessing both physical and economic losses. Farmers face low prices with the lack of a market price support system, and warehouses are unable to maintain a sufficient rate of […]
India School Tragedy Raises Questions for Gandhi’s Food Plan
At least 23 children died in India after eating contaminated food served under the free school lunch program. The tragedy raises concern over whether quality and safety standards can be sufficiently monitored and maintained when the new Food Security Ordinance rolls out, which more than doubles the reach of government food subsidies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/18/us-india-food-idUSBRE96H0HL20130718
CAG Slams Punjab, Haryana for Letting Grains Rot
The Comptroller and Auditor General’s May 2013 report, which assessed the country’s amount and quality of available storage, finds that even after the busy influx of procurement season, grains in Haryana and Punjab were left in open storage against FCI regulations. Inadequate storage worries critics of the newly passed food security legislation. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-16/india/40611680_1_food-grains-cag-report-cag-slams-punjab