Grain storage and insect pests of stored grain in rural Niger

• Postharvest grain storage is widely practiced in the West African nation of Niger.
• Insects cause substantial losses to all stored grains.
• Measures to reduce losses are not commonly used by farmers or traders.
• Technology for safe storage of grain in Niger could promote food security.

We surveyed 1293 farmers and traders in southern Niger to learn about their grain storage practices and their views on the storage pest problem. We identified the insect species found in samples obtained from 40 localities in three regions of the country. We stored 371 grain samples collected from respondents in the laboratory for seven months to allow populations of the insects present to develop and emerge and the resultant grain weight loss to be determined. The commodities most commonly stored in Niger were millet and sorghum, kept in storage on average for about 6 months by 53% and 80% of respondents respectively. When millet samples from respondents were kept in the laboratory for seven months, two pests were found, the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica Stainton, and Tribolium spp. This millet experienced a weight loss of 17.1% during seven months storage. Tribolium castaneum Herbst, Sitophilus granarius L., Cryptolestes spp, Sitotroga cerealella Oliver, Trogoderma granarium Everts, Rhyzopertha dominica F. and C. cephalonica were found in stored sorghum, which lost 10.1% weight after seven months. Eleven other grains or foods were stored by 2.9–24.4% of respondents. Recorded weight losses were 15.9% for groundnuts, 12.6% for paddy rice, 7.6% for sesame and 7.4% for maize. Seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and Bambara groundnut were essentially destroyed by bruchids during storage, mean weight losses being 83.9% and of 61.8% respectively. Most respondents took no measures to control insect pests in their stored grains. Food security and quality in Niger would be greatly improved if Africa-manufactured technology that is safe, low-cost, insecticide free, and widely available could be implemented for postharvest storage of food grains.