There was some skepticism on a thread a while back, where someone found an article about the levels of unpleasant things in grain, which was disputed.

Granted, stuff you find on the Internet may or may not be true. (Except here, of course!)

But I did find this stuff from an agronomy manual. Food for thought:

Guidelines for successful storage of grain:
Only store grain dry and keep it dry. (Damp grain or damp air will lead to rotten grain.) The ideal moisture content of grain for good storage is less than 13 %.

Grain may be dried naturally in the field while on the plant, but losses from termites, deterioration, theft and weevils may accrue if crops are left too long in the field. Thus, it is better to harvest crops as soon as possible after maturity and dry the grain in the sun where there is good airflow over the grain. Alternatively, artificial drying may be used for large quantities of grain. However, this requires some mechanical method to blow ambient or heated air through the grain, and it is consequently an expensive and technical process.

Never store grain that has already been attacked by insects, unless the insects have been destroyed. Damaged grain will allow the entrance of diseases and the insects may have laid eggs in the grain, which may re-infect the stored grain.

Never let rodents make their home in the grain store. Prevention is better than cure - keep rats out (Cats are an excellent way of controlling rats).

Proper grain storage depends greatly on the storehouse. Build a good storehouse that keeps out thieves, rodents and moisture.

Before filling a grain store:

Clean out thoroughly and fill in any cracks with dagga or mortar.


Burn the debris that is swept out of the grain store.

Spray surfaces with Malathion or Kontakill, or paint the surfaces with goat or cattle manure and ash (burnt sunflower stalks or aloe leaves may be used).

Mix a grain protectant chemical (e.g., Shumba or Damfin) with the grain during filling.

Alternatively, mix ash with the grain (3 to 10 kg ash per 100 kg grain). Burn a mixture of dry maize cobs, sunflower stalks and cow dung in order to produce the ash. Powdered (crushed) Syringa seeds also helps to keep away insects.

Small quantities of beans may be stored in a container with some sand. At frequent intervals (at least every two weeks) shake the container to mix the sand and the beans.

Always use the oldest grain first. Remember the maxim: first in, first out.