Groundnuts
Post-harvest management
Shelling
- Do not wet the pods before shelling as this may attract fungus development.
- The nuts should be graded carefully after shelling.
- All moldy nuts should be discarded and not fed to livestock as they are toxic because of a high concentration of aflatoxin.
- Shriveled and broken nuts should be separated.
- Only clean whole nuts will fetch a high price at the markets.
- Oil nuts (Mawanga and Mani-Pintar) are mostly bought in pods.
- Farmers should winnow and grade to ensure that only properly filled pods are presented at the markets.
Storage
- Store the nuts under a very dry condition since wet conditions enhance fungus development particularly the fungus that causes Aflatoxin.