Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date (Issue Year)
2022
Journal Name
Toxins
Abstract
Maize-dependent populations in sub-Saharan Africa are continually exposed to aflatoxinpoisoning owing to their regular consumption of this dietetic cereal. Being a staple in Kenyanhouseholds, consumption of maize-based meals is done almost daily, thereby exposing consumers toaflatoxicoses. This study assessed awareness levels, knowledge disparities, and perceptions regardingaflatoxin contamination at the post-harvest phase among farmers in the Rift Valley Region of Kenya.Households were randomly selected using a geographical positioning system (GPS) overlay of theagro-ecological zones within Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Face-to-face interviewswere conducted in 212 smallholder and large-scale farms. The study documented the demographicprofiles of farmers and knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of aflatoxin contamination using apre-designed structured questionnaire. Most farmers were familiar with aflatoxins and the adverseeffects they present to health (61.32%). Almost all the farmers (94.37%) were aware of storage moldsand food-spoilage fungi. However, few farmers adopted good post-harvest practices (PHPs), suchas avoiding premature harvests (49.8%), using well-ventilated storage spaces (44.6%), grain sorting(30.5%), proper drying of maize (17.8%), and using hermetic bags for storage (30.5%). Conclusively,intensified farmer education is required to train farmers on good PHPs to protect their maize fromaflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin accumulation.
Keywords
stored maize, aflatoxins, post-harvest practices, Hybrid-6 series maize cultivars, foodsecurity, Rift Valley, Kenya
Rsif Scholar Name
Grace Wanjiku Gachara
Thematic Area
Food security and Agribusiness
Africa Host University (AHU)
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania
Funding Statement
This work was made possible by the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology (PASET) in conjunction with the Regional Scholarship Innovation Fund (RSIF), a flagship program of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). The authors sincerely appreciate and acknowledge the communities of Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties in the Rift Valley Region of Kenya for sharing their indigenous knowledge on maize cultivation and willingness to participate in the field interviews and questionnaire-filling exercises. Our gratitude is also extended to Timothy Omara and Papias Nteziyaremye from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Moi University, Eldoret, for their technical support, advice, and assistance rendered in the course of this study.
Recommended Citation
Gachara, G. W., Suleiman, R., Kadili, S. E., Barka, E. A., Kilima, B., & Rachid Lahlali, R. (2022). Drivers of Post-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination: Evidence Gathered from Knowledge Disparities and Field Surveys of Maize Farmers in the Rift Valley Region of Kenya. Toxins, 14 (9), 618. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14090618