Caribbean

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Cuba

Impact (2001-2009)
11'000 silos produced
8'000 producers benefiting from silos (2009)
2% of all grain producers use silos (2009)
4'600 tons of grain saved

Program
From 2001 until 2010 SDC supported a POSTCOSECHA program in Cuba in collaboration with the Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (ANAP).
The silos produced in Cuba were used for various products, mainly maize and beans. Cuba still imports a large but decreasing quantity of grain from abroad. However, the decreasing imports cannot be related to the number of silos for three reasons:

  1. The number of silos is still very small and they are used for various products.
  2. The quantity of imported grain is still very large
  3. The national harvest has been affected by severe drought and excessive rainfall, incidents with much more impact than the number of silos available.
     

The table beneath shows the savings from 2001 to 2008 thanks to the POSTCOSECHA program. Prices for imported grain (June 2008) come from the Cuban import company ALIMPORT and it is assumed that half of the saved grain was maize and half beans. The savings in this period are seven times the amount invested in the POSTCOSECHA program.

​Product saved Quantity in tons​ Price of ton in CUP​ Total in CUP   ​
​Maize ​2'300​313719'900
​Beans​2'3001'3883'192'400
​Total savings​4'600​3'912'300
​Invested in Postcosecha​571'700
​Savings - Investment ​3'340'600

 

More information
Evaluación del Programa POSTCOSECHA de COSUDE en Cuba  PDF, 569 KB
Richard Haep and Elio Perón Mirabal, May 2006


Dominican Republic

Impact (1999-2007)
150 tinsmiths trained
6'000 silos produced
500 farmers selected to promote the silo
30'000 farmers trained in silo use

 

Program
From 1999 until 2007 Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation supported a POSTCOSECHA program in the Dominican Republic. Since 2006 the program has been managed by Consorcio Postcosecha. The program was implemented primarily in the provinces of San Juan and Elías Piña. Metal silos have been used for storage of rice, maize, beans, peas and sorghum. The main results have been:

  • a larger quantity of seeds for sowing available;
  • more grain for human consumption and animal feeding;
  • possibility to store the grain and take advantage of higher market prices;
  • job creation and improvement of economic situation and living standard of farmers.
     

More information
Postcosecha - Verminderung von Nachernteverlusten, Dominikanische Republik PDF, 60 KB
Helvetas, 2006