Project:
Development of an innovative integrated grain and feed quality control system for warehouses
Challenges
Storing crop products is no less important than growing - crop storage losses do great damage to the economy, reducing food and material resources. In Lithuania, about 10% of grain harvest is lost every year during storage. This is due to improper storage conditions, contamination, mold, pest activity. This results in the loss of thousands of tonnes of grain that never reaches the consumer, and grain growers suffer considerable losses as a result.
Farmers often store grain in their own warehouses, thus saving on the cost of grain cleaning, drying and storage services in grain elevators. Most of these storages are unsuitable for longer grain storage. They are not equipped with grain ventilation, cooling, ozonation systems, environmental conditions fluctuate due to the lack of sealing, which creates favourable conditions for the emergence and spread of microorganisms and pests. Spontaneous heating begins in wet grains, conditions are created for the development of microscopic fungi and bacteria, and nutritional value of grains is reduced. Damaged grains are unsuitable for the food industry, feed, even alcohol production, so if problems are not identified in time, huge financial losses are incurred.
