Enhancing Food Safety, Quality, and Market Access for Farmers and Traders”
Birid was established to bring every farmer in every village together to close the postharvest handling gaps so everyone can enjoy the benefits of a united cooperative society that works to uplift our farmers out of poverty. This work begins at the grassroots with teaching farmers effective food production and postharvest handling practices to reduce aflatoxin contamination.
Through Biridi’s leadership farmers and grain traders will be able to tackle food production and postharvest handling challenges which will boost exports for Uganda’s high value commodities. Biridi is dedicated to creating new opportunities for farmers, together, and for the first-time ever, we will create a lasting change that uplifts our rural farming communities out of poverty.
In Uganda, 16.4 % of all grains are lost annually to insects ,rodents, and mold. The loss is an equivalent of 382,418 tons of food wasted. If the wasted food could be recovered , it would feed more than one million hungry people. It’s clear that these losses can rarely be met by farmers, traders or government alone. Given this precarious situation and the changing climate, effective food production and postharvest loss reduction needs to be at the center of strategies for sustainable development. It’s Biridi’s belief that reducing the postharvest losses in our communities, could be a sustainable solution to increase food availability, reduce pressure on natural resources, eliminate hunger and improve the livelihoods of our rural farmers. To act, Biridi has stepped up to become a credible voice for effective food production and postharvest handling practices.
Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by mold sometimes found in cereal grains such as maize, rice, beans, and wheat. Activated by relative humidity of 67-70 % air surrounding the grain, and at 75 % fungal spores begins to activate and moisture develops. This is the expertise Biridi organics offers to grain dealers and farmers by monitoring produce to ensure the food is safe for human consumption.
Aflatoxin is a chemical toxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The two mold species grow and produce aflatoxins at temperatures over 68 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity conditions between 85-99%. Biridi is equipped to rapidly assess grains for aflatoxins before they are sold and consumed. Aflatoxins are carcinogens and exposure causes liver cancer, birth defects, stunting, and large doses of aflatoxins causes acute poisoning (aflatoxicosis) or death.
Uganda has a dominant role in supplying staple foods to neighboring countries such as Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda. The country benefits from abundant rainfall and two growing seasons, yet Uganda produces only a fraction of its potential capacity for food production. Postharvest handling is the area with the potential for significantly increasing the supply of staple foods available for consumption and export.
There are many benefits of postharvest handling, below are the main ones you can expect to be implemented when you contact us
Harvesting & Drying in the field
Transporting from the field
Drying
Threshing and Shelling
Winnowing
Household Storage
Transporting
Storage
Consequences of postharvest loss (PHL)
Postharvest loss Cost
Why You should Invest in Biridi
Natural air drying is a process whereby grain is dried naturally by allowing air to pass through and around it , assisted by properly sized self-propelled fans to remove moisture. This method is achieved by exposing the grain to the sun energy, circulated fans , and cool ambient air. At Biridi Greenhouses, the grain is placed in an aerated tray system and the temperature and airflow are monitored continuously to make sure that the grain is dried properly. Natural air-drying process works by passing air over the grain, which draws out the moisture. The temperature of the air is controlled to maintain a safe drying rate and as an organic entity natural air drying is an effective, economical way to dry grain.
Our future plan is to install galvanized steel silos are equipped with PLC-operated grain conveying systems and automated grain monitoring systems. The galvanized silo systems are preferred because they have been scientifically proven to be safe grain storage systems and tightly constructed to ensure there is no wastage and moisture. Additionally, they’ll be equipped with a pre-cleaning and sorting system which cleans the grain before storage which is effective in managing grain quality to limit static pressure for fans to push or pull air through during aeration.
Work: +256 777 334265
WhatsApp: 0777 334265