Session 5 - Losses caused by the GGB

Topic: Losses Caused by the GGB
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Objectives:

At the end of this session, the participants should:

(i) Be able to name the main agents that cause losses of grain on the farm.
ii) Be aware of the four types of losses in grain brought about by the various agents, i.e.

- loss of weight of grain (quantitative loss)
- loss of quality of grain (qualitative loss)
- loss of nutritional value of grain (nutritional loss)
- economic losses to the farmer and trader (economic loss).

iii) Recognize the GGB as a very serious grain loss agent.
iv) Be sufficiently motivated to implement appropriate measures to control the GGB.

Target Group:

- Subject Matter Specialists (SMS's)
- Technical Assistants (TA's)
- Farmers
- Civil and administration policemen and customs officials
- Local leaders
- Individual traders and personnel of trading organizations
- Magistrates, members of parliament and judges.

Training Materials:

i) Samples of maize grain which have been attacked by the GGB while still on cobs
ii) Samples of maize flour infested by insect pests, e.g. GGB
iii) Sample of good quality maize flour
iv) Sample of clean, good quality grain
v) Magnifying glasses (lenses)
vi) Wall chart or overhead transparency of Table 1 in the hand-out
vii) BB with chalk or FC stand with paper and felt pen
viii) Photographs showing losses of grain in Taveta District.

Process:

10 minutes

The Purpose of Growing or Stocking Maize Grain

a) The trainer should, first of all, ask the participants why they grow or keep maize and other grains. The following reasons should come clearly and should be visualized on BB or FC:

i) for eating right away
ii) for eating later (storage)
iii) for selling right away
iv) for giving to friends.

20 minutes

Enumeration of the Agents that Cause Losses of Grain

b) The participants should then be guided into a discussion of the agents known to them to be the causes of losses or damage to grain. Each item mentioned should be written down by the trainer on the BB or FC. The list should be as detailed as possible, e.g.

Mammals
- wildlife (elephants, etc.)
- goats
- cows
- rodents (rats)
- human beings (theft)
Birds
- chickens
- wild birds
Moulds
Insects
- common weevils
- lesser grain borer
- flour beetle
- anguomois grain moth
- GGB

20 minutes

Discussion of Different Types of Losses

c) At the next stage, the trainer should lead a discussion on the types of losses that may possibly be caused by each category of the agents named above. The following types of losses should come to light during the discussion:

i) Loss of weight caused by all types of loss agents because they feed on the grain; hence, whatever amount is eaten is not available to the farmer or trader for necessary purposes named in a) above.

ii) loss of quality of grain and/or flour - the trainer should demonstrate this aspect by letting each participant examine, by magnifying glass, and compare and contrast samples of:

* clean, good quality grain vs. grain attacked by trisect pests
* clean maize flour vs. maize flour infested with insect pests.

The following observations should be made by the participants and recorded by the trainer on the BB or FC:
Insect-infested grain/flour has the following characteristics:

- darker colour due to presence of insects' eggs, larvae, pupae or their excrete
- coarse texture
- bad smell or flavour.

The trainer should enthuse on the fact that excrete of insects, like that of people and animals, may be hazardous if infested grain or flour is eaten by animals or people.

iii) Loss of nutritional value - the trainer should draw the attention of the participants to the fact that grain loss agents, e.g. insects, obtain life-sustaining nutrients from the grains on which they feed. For that reason, the nutrients available to people are considerably reduced.

iv) Economic/financial losses - the trainer should make an effort to estimate the economic/financial losses of the farmers (or traders) by an appropriate example. The example given in e) below would be appropriate for farmers.

d) The trainer should explain as emphatically as possible that, of all the grain loss agents, the GGB is currently the most serious in Kenya. This is due to its excessive feeding and multiplication habits. Studies in Tanzania have shown the following losses of stored maize grain are possible:

Length of Storage	Possible Loss of Grain
3 months	34%
6 months	56%
9 months	60%

20 minutes

Quantification of Economic Losses Caused by the GGB

e) Suppose:

i) A farmer grows two seasons of maize in a year

ii) Each time, he cultivates one acre

iii) Each acre produces an average eight bags of maize

iv) Each bag of maize may be sold at KShs. 800/-, expected income per year, i.e.= 2 x 8 x KShs. 800/ = KShs. 12,800/

If the farmer allows his crop to be infested by the GGB and if he stores it, his losses will be as follows:

Length of Storage	Possible Loss of Grain	Bags of Maize Lost	Income Foregone - KShs.	Expected Income - KShs.
0 months	0%	0	0/=	12,800/=
3 months	34%	5.5	4,460/=	8,400/=
6 months	56%	9.0	7,200/=	5,600/=
9 months	60%	10.0	8,000/=	4,800/=

f) The trainer should then lead a discussion to highlight the losses brought about by pests, especially the GGB and why it is necessary to implement control measures.

10 minutes

Question Time

g) The trainer should allow questions from the participants, after which he/she should ask a few questions to ensure that the lesson's objectives have been achieved. He/she should not expect or require the participants to learn the quantities discussed during the session.

h) The session's contents should then be summarized as follows:

Lesson Review and Summary

i) The main agents which cause losses to grain farmers and traders are:

- mammals
- birds
- moulds
- insects

ii) Insect pests are among the worst loss-causing agents to grain farmers and stockists; the GGB is currently the leading insect pest in Kenya. The following are facts associated with the beetle:

a) It causes enormous losses in weight of the grain - three and one half out of every ten produced by the farmer or traded by a shopkeeper may be eaten by the GGB within three months of storage (six bags may be eaten within nine months).

b) It causes loss in quality of grain or flour, mainly due to its excrete.

c) It eats the nutrients from the grain or flour, leaving people to eat valueless trash.

d) It exposes farmers, traders and the nation at large to great financial or economic losses.

iii) In view of health and financial/economic hazards brought about by the GGB, it is worthwhile for everybody to implement measures to control the beetle.

NB:

This topic may be taught very effectively if a study tour is taken to areas and farms which have been adversely affected by the GGB. The costs of this should be weighed meticulously against the gains.