Rwandan grain farmers should begin looking towards Kenya for a special chemical that is very effective in reducing Aflatoxin contamination.
Kenya is currently manufacturing Aflasafe KE01 chemical that can be applied to maize at pre-harvest stage and can significantly cut down on threats of aflatoxin by almost 70%.
Scientists say this new all-natural biocontrol product aflasafe KE01™ is a big answer to farmers’ losses.
Aflatoxins are poisonous carcinogens produced by certain molds (fungus) which grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains.
According to scientists, these Aflatoxins are regularly found in improperly stored staple commodities such as cassava, chili peppers, corn, cottonseed, millet, peanuts, rice, sesame seeds, sorghum, sunflower seeds, tree nuts, wheat, and a variety of spices.
The contamination process takes place in the field and may continue throughout storage and until consumption.
Rwandan farmers are mainly fond of growing Cassava, maize, rice, sorghum, sunflower, wheat, chilli peppers- and these are listen on Aflatoxin targets. For example Rwanda hasmore than 32000 hectares of maize crop consolidated across the country.
Rwanda Agricultural Board is conducting a study which will guide farmers on combating aflatoxin contamination.
Agro processing factories are increasingly rejecting farm products because they are contaminated with aflatoxin mostly resulting from poor storage.
This is the same reason most African farm products have failed to reach the foreign markets especially the European union and United States because of failure to achieve required standards.
Aflatoxin levels in foods are measured in parts/billion (ppb). The minimum acceptable aflatoxin in the crop is 10parts/billion considered safe for human consumption.
The EU set standards for Aflatoxin in crop is only 5parts/billion yet most African crops have way above 10parts/billion aflatoxin contamination in products they want to reach the EU market.
However, when farmers in Kenya applied the Aflasafe KE01, the results were impressive cutting down aflatoxin contamination to 4parts/billion.
Kenya started producing its Aflasafe KE01 in 2015 with the objective of Safe Crops, Better Health, and Higher Income.
Over 25% of maize and groundnut produced in subSaharan Africa contains high aflatoxin levels. In Kenya, the aflatoxin threshold is 10 ppb but sometimes these crops contains more than 20,000 ppb total aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins cause liver cancer, suppress the immune system, retard growth and development of children, among other health problems.
Consumption of contaminated food and feed decreases productivity in humans and animals; sometimes it is fatal.
Kenya’s push to manufacture Aflasafe KE01 resulted from the country’s dire situation of ranking amongst the nations most severely affected by aflatoxin contamination.
This is the First aflatoxin biocontrol modular plant and second factory in Africa. Nigeria also has a similar plant.
Quick facts
- Aflasafe KE01™ is applied 2-3 weeks before maize flowering.
- The atoxigenic strains will grow rapidly on the sorghum grains and will colonize the available nutrient sources in the field, including maize, before toxigenic strains.
- Thus, aflasafe KE01™ strains will become associated with the maize and will prevent growth and aflatoxin production by the toxigenic fungi.
