It is estimated that 30 per cent of all food produced for human consumption is lost and wasted from production to post-harvest handling and consumption levels.
The African Grain Care Equipment Limited (AGCE) is advancing a strategy to establish the need for modern technology in post-harvest grain equipment handling in Africa.
AGCE Sales Manager, Mr Sila Yego said “We deal in Post-Harvest Agricultural Machines through identifying needs, design of plants, sales and supply of equipment, installation, commissioning, training, maintenance and servicing of equipment and setting up of Turnkey Projects.”
“Reducing food loss and waste is important as it contributes to the realisation of broader improvements in food systems towards achieving food security, food safety, improving food quality and delivering on nutritional outcomes,” he said.
“Since its inception, AGCE has managed to sign partnership deals with leading established manufacturers of machinery and plant equipment’s e.g., Buhler (milling plant & equipment), Symaga (silos), Agrex (driers milling plant) and Andritz (feed processing equipment). Others are Probat, the global leaders in coffee roasters and grinders with a market share of more than 70 per cent worldwide,” he said.
Yego added that, “AGCE has handled numerous projects from its inception and keeps raising the standards in workmanship and efficiency. AGCE has several projects (ongoing and completed) spread across the East Africa region (Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania).”
“Food loss, which is reduction in quality and quantity of food at production and post-harvest stages, and food waste, which is the reduction in quality and quantity of food at retail and consumption levels, is a direct result of our decisions and actions. Therefore, the onus is on us to reverse this sad reality,” he said.
“Moisoy Farmers’ Cooperative Union is among the projects in Uasin Gishu Kabenes, Soy Sub-County that received a complete design, construction, supply, installation, testing, commissioning of grain intake, cleaning, drying, storage, bulk loading, bagging, milling and packaging plant and a weighbridge installation,” said Yego.
“Other projects include 300TPD Wheat flour milling plant installation at Unga limited in Eldoret , Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd – 135,000 MT Storage / 600MT/H Conveying (SGR Terminal Syokimau), Bulto Foods Limited mechanical and electrical Installation of 1-3 TPH; Corn/Soya plant fabrication of machine stands and support equipment, among other projects in Uganda and Tanzania,” he added.
“Our ideas are to be the African leader in the supply and installation of post-harvest plant machinery & equipment by 2030. Also, to be the African leader in the supply and installation of post-harvest plant machinery & equipment by year 2030 and to offer cost effective solutions tailored to meet the needs of various grain products in different environments,” he noted.
“It is time to rethink how we manage food so that we can greatly minimise losses and wastage and therefore hunger. It is our collective actions and decisions that will contribute to reversing the current food loss and waste with our machines and equipments because a hungry world cannot stomach food loss and waste,” he concluded.
By Judy Too
