UK Firm Exosect Ltd. gains permits for food security project in Africa

WINCHESTER, U.K. - June 7, 2013 - PRLog -- Addressing the Technical Meeting on Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa on 14 May 2013 in Lusaka, Zambia, Agriculture and Livestock Minister in the Republic of Zambia, Mr Robert Sichinga said that post-harvest losses have led to the high prices of maize and other foodstuffs in sub-Saharan Africa. “Post-harvest losses contribute to high food prices by removing part of the food supply from the market and also have a negative environmental impact as land, water and non-renewable resources such as fertilizers are used to produce, process, handle and transport food that no one consumes, ” Mr Sichinga said.

He added that Zambia has a post-harvest loss of about 32 percent of maize grain due to lack of proper storage facilities, and that out of the over 3.7 million tonnes of grain harvested in the past years, the country only managed to account for 1.7 million tonnes of grain, with the rest going to waste.

FAO resident representative Dr George Okech and African Union Commission(AU) representative Janet Edeme said at the same conference, that over US$4 billion, (which could meet annual food requirements of about 48 million people), was lost in Sub-Saharan post-harvest grain losses every year. Further saying there was need for countries in the sub-Saharan region to introduce measures aimed at reducing the losses.

It is therefore timely that UK Company Exosect Ltd. has today received confirmation of importation licenses from Tanzania and Ghana for trials of its bio-pesticide grain protectant.  

The trials in stored maize with small farmers this summer, will provide important efficacy data that will enable registration and adoption of this technology where is so critically needed in Sub-Saharan Africa. The protectant is based on Exosect’s patented platform technology Entostat, incorporating the naturally occurring, friendly fungus Beauvaria bassiana.

For further information see www.exosect.com