One of the key challenges facing the food supply chain is post-harvest losses and poor post-handling of food, which results in waste. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a third of food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted along the supply chain while in Sub-Saharan Africa. This loss accounts to 4 billion US dollars, yet 870 million people go hungry– exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition. Most of the food is lost in the supply chain, and little once consumers have purchased it.
Some of the major causes of post-harvest losses include: climatic factors, such as low humidity and high temperatures; limited knowledge on good handling practices; insufficient knowledge of post-harvest technologies; and poor storage of agricultural products once harvested.
Estimates by the World Bank reveal 112 million tons of grains are produced in sub-Saharan Africa annually. However, farmers incur up to 40% post-harvest losses due to poor storage and handling of agricultural produce, limited access to markets, poor transport infrastructure, and other related factors.
To address this challenge, GoGettaz alumni and inaugural winner of the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition Isaac Sesi founded Sesi Technologies to empower farmers and agri-businesses, providing them with affordable technologies to help them reduce post-harvest losses and increase their yields and profits.
Isaac Sesi (left) receiving his GoGettaz Grand Prize certificate from Mr. Strive Masiyiwa,Founder Econet Group (center) and Svein Tore, President of Yara International (far right)
Sesi Technologies has developed three technological products: GrainMate, FarmSense, and the latest, ZeroFly Hermetic bag. These are transforming the post-harvest loss management chain.
In April, Isaac Sesi hosted the Generation Africa team at the Sesi Technologies headquarters in Kumasi, Ghana. He took them through the intricacies of his innovations, how they are produced, and how they work. The Generation Africa secretariat was represented by Ms. Sophie Nabuliri, Program Coordinator and Ms. Amanda Namayi, GoGettaz Lead.
From left: Sophie Nabuliri Program Coordinator, Generation Africa , Isaac Sesi (centre) Founder Sesi Technologies and Amanda Namayi (Right) GoGettaz Lead
GrainMate
Isaac Sesi holding the GrainMate Moisture Meter 102
GrainMate is a locally assembled device: easy-to-use, accurate, and portable. It is used to measure the moisture content in grain and other commodities like groundnuts, sorghum, and millet, making it possible for farmers to accurately determine the moisture content in their grains before storage.
When combined with hermetic storage bags, GrainMate can help reduce post-harvest losses in grains from 40% to just 2%. GrainMate is designed with non-tech savvy smallholder farmers in mind, while offering competitive efficiency, portability, and durability. The device has undergone several improvements and is now on version 103. It has a friendly user interface and is able to measure the content of a wider range of cereals.
Isaac Sesi (left) demonstrating the hardware components of the Grain Mate moisture meter to the Generation Africa Team
ZeroFly Hermetic bag
Isaac Sesi (right) demonstrating the components of ZeroFly Hermatic bag to the Generation Africa Team
This is a multi-use storage bag for grains that is double layered. The inner layer is waterproof and airtight; increasing the shelf life of the grain, whereas the outer layer is laced with organic pesticide to keep rodents and pests from ravaging the grain.
The Generation Africa Secretariat and Sesi Technologies team pose for a group picture at Sesi Technologies headquarters
With the $50,000 prize money received from the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition, Sesi was able to purchase more equipment required for production. He also invested further into the research and development of the GrainMate moisture meter.
Sesi is also the laureate of the first-ever scholarship to be issued from Generation Africa to pursue his Master’s in Business Creation from the University of Utah.
The fifth edition of the GoGettaz Competition is currently open! The Competition recognizes outstanding youth agripreneurs who are transforming Africa’s food system. The $50,000 cash prize enables them to scale up their agri-enterprises.
To apply, please visit: https://vc4a.com/gogettaz/2023/
