The determinants of grain storage technology adoption in Sierra Leone

Abstract

In Sierra Leone, there is renewed concern about post-harvest losses which account for 20-30% loss of farm produce. The lack of adequate storage facilities also affects produce quality, reducing produce market value with negative implications for various parts of the value chain (consumers, processors, etc.) requiring high quality raw materials. This study uses the Logistic Regression Model to determine the factors that influence the adoption of Grain Storage Technologies (GSTs) promoted by Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) in Sierra Leone. The study shows that education, household size and cultivated grain type are positively related to GST adoption, while farming and farmland acquisition modes are negatively related to their adoption. Interestingly, access to credit and extension services have little influence on the adoption of GST. Credits, like extension services, are haphazard and random with high interest rates and political connotations that farmers generally detest. As rural farmers are largely poor, GSTs are generally viewed as additional expenditures. It is appropriate that SLARI, government and other stakeholders refocus efforts on collective/community post-harvest storage systems such as farmer/community associations and co-operations. Facilitating efficient post-harvest storage systems in rural/farming communities benefits not only farmers in terms of increased income, but also hunger-stricken populations across Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of food security.