GrainMate: Grain Moisture Meter

Control the moisture content of grains and reduce post-harvest losses.

The Grain Moisture Meter is a valuable tool for African farmers, helping them accurately measure grain moisture to prevent mold and post-harvest losses. Ministries of Agriculture, extension services, and food safety agencies can use this technology to support farmers by ensuring quality control, providing better storage advice, and enforcing market standards. Extension officers can train farmers on proper grain management, while regulatory bodies can maintain fair trade practices. This affordable and easy-to-use device enhances food security, improves market value, and reduces post-harvest losses at farmer and country levels.

This technology is pre-validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Problem

Significant Grain Losses: According to FAO, farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa lose 10–20% of their grain due to poor post-harvest handling.
Inaccurate traditional methods: Farmers rely on methods like biting or tossing grains, which are inconsistent and unreliable.
Limited access to affordable moisture measurement tools: Many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa cannot afford or find reliable grain moisture meters.
High risk of mold growth: Without proper moisture control, grains exceeding 13.5% moisture easily develop mold.
Negative impact on poultry farming: Feeding birds with high-moisture grains reduces egg production and increases disease and mortality rates.

Solution

Eliminates Guesswork: The moisture meter replaces unreliable traditional methods like biting or tossing grains, allowing farmers to make informed storage decisions.
Improves Accessibility: As an affordable –60 USD– and easy-to-use tool, it is accessible to a wide range of farmers.
Reduces Grain Losses: Farmers can use the device to measure accurately moisture levels and dry grains properly, preventing post-harvest losses and ensuring national food security.
Enhances National Planning and Advisory: Reliable moisture data collected from farmers can help governments and agricultural agencies monitor grain quality, predict storage risks, and design better food security policies.

Key points to design your project

The GrainMate Moisture Meter stands out as a tool addressing challenges in traditional grain moisture measurement. It not only enhances efficiency in agriculture but also aligns with global sustainability goals, promoting responsible farming practices and ensuring a more resilient and equitable future for grain post harvest management.

To incorporate this technology into your project adhere to the following guidelines:

Assess the quantity of GrainMate Moisture Meters required for your project, taking into account a technology cost ranging from USD 45-60 per device.
Consider the technology's location (Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe) and factor in the delivery cost to the project site, including potential expenses related to import clearance and duties.

Training is crucial for effective utilization. Enlist a team of trainers to provide comprehensive training and post-training support during the implementation of the technology. Include the associated costs in your project plan.

Communication support for the technology should be developed (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.)

To implement the technology in your country, you could collaborate with agricultural development institutes and agro-dealers.

Cost: $$$ 45—60 USD

Price for resellers and users

ROI: $$$ 90 %

Post-harvest losses reduced

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

GrainMate Components: GrainMate is composed of a handheld reader and a probe. The probe, housing the sensor, connects to the reader through a USB cable.
Moisture Measurement Process: To obtain a moisture measurement, the user inserts the probe into a sample of grain, selects the grain type, and presses the TEST button on the reader.
Type Selection on Reader: Users need to choose the grain type on the reader and then press the TEST button.
Data Processing: The device processes the collected data to determine the moisture content of the tested grain.
Background Test: The moisture test runs in the background, and after 2-3 minutes, the moisture content is displayed on the LCD screen.

Last updated on 17 April 2025