Dr. Ali stated that if hermetic cocoons are successful in meeting the demand for healthy, aflatoxin-free food, national food exports could increase and help ensure food security.
By implementing hermetic technology and other cutting-edge grain storage technologies, Pakistan can significantly reduce post-harvest losses that total more than $1.3 billion, according to a senior officer of the Punjab agriculture department.
On the eve of the liquidation of maize kept in a smart warehouse here using hermetic technology, Dr. Anjum Ali, director-general (extension), stated that they were supporters of hermetic and other technologies that could reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers’ income even without expanding farmland.
Hermetic cocoons, which are available for both indoor and outdoor grain storage, ensure infestation control by preventing the passage of oxygen and humidity, which also eliminates the possibility of aflatoxin caused by moisture.
According to an Asian Development Bank report, Pakistan experiences annual post-harvest losses of $1.3 billion, which is roughly four times the combined annual agriculture budget for the federal and Punjab provinces of $250 million.
Dr. Ali stated that if hermetic cocoons are successful in meeting the demand for healthy, aflatoxin-free food, national food exports could increase and help ensure food security. Farmers avoided storing their maize, rice, wheat, and other grains because of a lack of infrastructure and resources, according to Farhan Tahir, co-founder of Kissan Gudam, an agri-tech company that introduced climate smart hermetic storage.
Additionally, they were aware of the weight loss, pest infestation, and aflatoxin risks associated with conventional stores. Hermetic smart warehouses with censors enable online grain sales and inspection, removing inefficiencies in the value chain.
Farmers who store their grain at these facilities may also be eligible for a simple loan with Islamic terms for up to 70% of the value of the crop being stored within 48 hours, allowing them to plant the following crop. According to him, farmers are paid at liquidation at prices for their crops that are nearly twice as high as those paid at harvest.
In his remarks at the ceremony, retired colonel Umar Farooq Ghumman, a farmer from Kasur who had stored his maize harvest at Kissan Gudam, said that by holding grain for four months after harvest, he was able to earn Rs641 per metric tonne extra, excluding storage costs. According to Farhan Tahir, the profit margin for red chillies increased from Rs 6,000 per maund during harvest to Rs 18,000 per maund during the off-season.